Child Poverty in a Regional Perspective: A Study of Sweden 1990 and 2010

Daniel Rauhut,Svante Lingärde

doi:10.23979/fypr.48427

Abstract

When the issue of welfare is addressed in Sweden analysis is usually focused on the national level, in a smaller number of cases on the local level, but rarely on the regional level. Studies on poverty are no exception. The aim of this paper is to analyse child poverty in Sweden, from a regional perspective, in 1990 and 2010. A multivariate cross-section OLS regression model is used to estimate regional factors causing child poverty. Regional macro data is used. The findings indicate that old industrial regions experience greater child poverty. The statistical analysis shows that when the share of foreign-born individuals increases in the regional population, so does the regional share of children living on social assistance. Higher incomes lower the regional share of children living on social assistance.

Highlights

The majority of previous studies on child poverty in Sweden describe and analyse developments at the national level (Rauhut et al 2006; Salonen 2002, 2012; Socialdepartementet 2001, 2004). Notwithstanding this general national level bias, several studies have focused on the development of child poverty at the municipal level
The organisation Save the Children (‘Rädda Barnen’) shows in several yearly reports that children growing up in wealthy suburban municipalities – such as Danderyd, Täby and Vellinge – are less exposed to poverty than children who grow up in suburban municipalities suffering from high unemployment (Botkyrka) or areas connected with social stigma – such as Rinkeby in Stockholm or Rosengård in Malmö (Angelin and Salonen 2012; Salonen 2002, 2012)
Very few studies have been produced on the regional dimension of poverty in Sweden and even in such cases they often only mention the issue of child poverty briefly (Dahlberg et al 2008; Rautio 2002)

Summary

Introduction

The majority of previous studies on child poverty in Sweden describe and analyse developments at the national level (Rauhut et al 2006; Salonen 2002, 2012; Socialdepartementet 2001, 2004). Notwithstanding this general national level bias, several studies have focused on the development of child poverty at the municipal level. Very few studies have been produced on the regional dimension of poverty in Sweden and even in such cases they often only mention the issue of child poverty briefly (Dahlberg et al 2008; Rautio 2002)

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion