Young adults in Sweden feel significantly worse than older people in almost all areas of life. While older Swedes rank among the happiest in the world, young adults struggle with loneliness and psychological distress. These are the findings of a new large-scale study on flourishing in Sweden, published in the International Journal of Wellbeing and conducted by researchers at the Stockholm School of Economics, Lund University, Oslo Metropolitan University and Harvard University.
Based on survey responses from more than 15,000 people in Sweden, the study reveals clear age-related differences in happiness and wellbeing. Young adults report lower life satisfaction, a weaker sense of meaning in life and lower financial security than older age groups. They also experience twice the level of loneliness, three times as many depressive symptoms and seven times the level of anxiety compared with the oldest respondents.
Sweden stands out internationally
“Our study shows that Sweden stands out in an international perspective,” says Nora Hansson Bittár, first author and PhD candidate at the Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness at the Stockholm School of Economics. “Sweden is one of the few countries where young adults have the lowest wellbeing of all age groups, while the oldest report the highest life satisfaction. The loneliness among young people is also striking – in many other countries, it is instead older people who feel the loneliest. We need to do more to understand and reverse this trend for young adults.”
Previous research has documented higher levels of psychological distress among young people in Sweden, but this study shows that the same pattern extends across nearly all areas of life. The age-related gaps in wellbeing are also much larger than differences linked to gender or country of birth.
Low wellbeing today, high expectations for the future
Despite their lower wellbeing today, young adults express high expectations for their future life satisfaction. On a ten-point scale, they expect their life satisfaction to reach 8.06 in five years’ time, compared with a general average of 6.65.
“Young people’s optimism about the future is positive,” says Nora Hansson Bittár, “but the combination of low wellbeing today and very high expectations for the future brings to mind former Swedish Prime Minister Tage Erlander’s phrase about the ‘disappointment that follows rising expectations’. Overly high ambitions and ideals – likely reinforced by social media – may contribute to dissatisfaction with life in the present.”
Older Swedes among the happiest in the world
The findings add nuance to the image of Sweden as a happy country. While Sweden continues to rank high in global comparisons overall, large generational differences exist behind national averages. If ratings from young adults aged 18–24 were used in the World Happiness Report, Sweden would rank 30th instead of 4th, behind countries such as Lithuania, Belize and Kosovo. If, instead, ratings from Swedes aged 80 and older were used, Sweden would rank first in the world.
“The study clearly shows that young people in Sweden are doing worse but, on the flip side, older Swedes are doing remarkably well,” says August Nilsson, co-author and PhD candidate at Oslo Metropolitan University. “Older Swedes are among the happiest in the world, with strong close relationships and less loneliness than their younger relatives. In a society that often idealises youth and associates ageing with frailty and isolation, we hope these findings can contribute to a positive view of ageing.”
No evidence of a midlife dip
The study also shows that the well-established ‘U-shaped curve’ of happiness – where wellbeing dips in midlife – does not apply in Sweden. The data simply doesn’t show signs of the typical midlife crisis. Instead, middle-aged Swedes report relatively high levels of well-being, despite often balancing work with responsibilities for both children and older relatives. This may be linked to Sweden’s extensive childcare and eldercare systems, which help reduce pressure during this stage of life.
“A key conclusion is that we need to strengthen societal efforts to support the wellbeing of young adults, and that we need to do more to monitor and understand this development over time,” says Micael Dahlen, co-author and professor at the Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness at the Stockholm School of Economics. “The observed patterns differ both from Sweden’s past and from trends in many other countries, underscoring that happiness and wellbeing are shaped by local conditions and can change over time. I believe we need to measure wellbeing as frequently and ambitiously as we measure economic growth.”
About the Global Flourishing Study
The study is part of the Global Flourishing Study, a large international research project that follows more than 200,000 people in 22 countries worldwide to better understand how people are doing, how they live and how they experience meaning in life. Through annual surveys over five years, the researchers examine both wellbeing and the societal factors that shape quality of life. The survey data used in this study were collected in 2023.
About the Stockholm School of Economics
The Stockholm School of Economics is rated as a top business school in the Nordic and Baltic countries and enjoys a strong international reputation. World-class research forms the foundation of our educational offering, which includes bachelor, master, PhD, MBA, and Executive Education programs. Our programs are developed in close cooperation with the business and research communities, providing graduates substantial potential to attain leading positions in companies and other organizations.
The School is accredited by EQUIS, certifying that all of its principal activities – teaching as well as research – maintain the highest international standards. The Stockholm School of Economics is also the only Swedish member institution of CEMS and PIM, which are collaborations between top business schools worldwide, contributing to the level of quality for which our school is known.