🏥The Swedish welfare society

Healthcare, schools, social care, social insurance and pensions — how the welfare system works and who is responsible for what.

The most important things to know

• The welfare system is mainly funded through taxes.
• The regions are responsible for healthcare. The municipalities are responsible for schools, preschool, elderly care and social services.
• The health centre (vårdcentral) is usually the first point of contact when you are ill. In a life-threatening situation, call 112.
• 1177 is the phone number and website for healthcare advice.
• The Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) pays out, among other things, parental benefit, sickness benefit and child allowance.
• Parental insurance gives parents the right to paid parental leave, which can be shared between the parents.
• The pension consists of the public pension, often an occupational pension, and possibly private savings.

Key terms

Social services (socialtjänst)

The municipality's activities providing support to people who need help.

The Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan)

The authority that pays out social insurance benefits.

High-cost protection (högkostnadsskydd)

A cap on how much you need to pay for care and medicine over a given period.

1177

Healthcare advice by phone and online.

Public pension

The pension you earn by working and paying tax in Sweden.