enkeltpersoner

Enkeltpersoner is a term used in Swedish and other Scandinavian languages to denote natural persons—individual human beings—as distinct from juridiska personer such as companies or organizations. The term is formed from enkelt (single or individual) and person, and it appears in legal, administrative, and statistical texts.

In legal and administrative contexts, enkeltpersoner are subjects of rights and duties. They have legal personality, can own property, enter contracts, sue and be sued, and are taxed as individuals. They contrast with juridiska personer (legal entities) which have a separate legal personality but can own property and engage in transactions through representatives or officers.

In statistics and policy, enkeltpersoner serve as units of observation, for example in surveys or welfare analyses. Data may be reported at the level of individuals or at the level of households, depending on the policy question. Some regulations differentiate between private individuals and organizations, affecting reporting, eligibility, and how benefits or obligations are allocated.

Terminology nuance: while literally meaning "individuals," enkeltpersoner is relatively formal or technical; in everyday language the term privatperson (private person) or simply person is more common. The term is more likely to appear in legal, governmental, or official documents than in casual speech, and it is used across Scandinavian languages with similar distinctions between natural and juridical persons. See also juridisk person, privatperson, and enskild firma.