säkerhetsekonomi

säkerhetsekonomi is a multidisciplinary field that examines the economic aspects of security, including the allocation of resources for defense, risk assessment, and the trade‑offs between security measures and economic performance. The term combines the Swedish words for ‘security’ (säkerhet) and ‘economics’ (ekonomi) and is used both in academic research and public policy discussions in Sweden and other Nordic countries.

The core premise of säkerhetsekonomi is that security is a public good that requires collective provision, but its benefits are often diffuse and difficult to quantify. Economists in this field develop models to evaluate the cost‑effectiveness of security policies, such as military spending, cybersecurity investments, and police presence. They use tools from game theory, cost‑benefit analysis, and risk theory to assess how best to prioritize limited budgets when facing multiple threats.

A key concept is the idea of “optimal security expenditure”, which seeks a balance between diminishing marginal returns on additional security measures and the rising threat intensity from inadequate protection. Policymakers also use säkerhetsekonomi to design incentive mechanisms for private actors to contribute to national security, for example through public‑private partnership contracts or subsidies for critical infrastructure resilience.

In Sweden, säkerhetsekonomi informs debates on defense budgeting, cyber‑defense strategies, and the economic impact of terrorism. Internationally, it aligns with studies on security economics in Westphalian contexts and the growth of security regulation in global supply chains. The discipline continues to evolve as emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons raise new economic questions about security investments and institutional adaptation.