hushållets

Hushållet is the Swedish term for the household, defined as the group of people who live in a dwelling and share income, expenses, and resources. It is a central unit in Swedish demography and national accounts, used to analyze consumption, housing, and welfare. A hushåll can be a family, but it can also be a single person or a group of roommates who live together and pool resources.

Etymology and forms: The word hushåll is formed from hus, meaning house, and håll, related to keeping or holding. The definite form is hushållet, and the possessive is hushållets. The indefinite plural is hushåll, the definite plural is hushållen, and the possessive plural is hushållens. The term is commonly used in official statistics and policy discussions.

Usage: In statistics and policy, hushållet is treated as the basic economic unit for measuring income, expenditure, and consumption patterns. Examples include hushållets kostnader (the household’s costs) and hushållets inkomst (the household’s income). The concept is important for welfare, taxation, energy use, and housing policy. While households are often families, the definition also covers non-family living arrangements such as roommates or shared residences.

See also: Household, Family, Demography, National accounts, Economic unit.