Household finances 2013 – housing and housing costs:
Smaller share of income goes to housing costs
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2014-12-15 9.30
Swedish households spend roughly one fifth of their disposable income on housing. Rented dwellings account for the largest share of housing costs.
In 2013, 28 percent of disposable incomes were spent on housing for households in rented dwellings. Households in owner occupied apartments spent 20 percent, while households in owner occupied one- or two-dwelling houses spent 16 percent.
The larger percentage for households in rented dwellings is not because they have higher housing costs, but because on average they have lower disposable incomes.
The percentage of income devoted to housing has decreased in all three tenure forms between 2004 and 2013, but the decrease is less for households in rented dwellings. For households in rented dwellings the proportion of income that went to housing costs decreased by one percentage point, while the corresponding proportion for those in owner occupied apartments and owner occupied one- or two-dwelling houses decreased by four percentage points.
The costs for housing for the average household were 21 percent of disposable income. Single women over age 65 pay the largest proportion of their incomes on housing, 35 percent. Cohabiting persons without children under age 65 pay the lowest proportion, 15 percent.
Definitions and explanations
Owner occupied one- or two-dwelling houses (ownership rights) refer to detached single family houses, semi-detached houses, terraced houses or link-attached houses.
Owner-occupied apartment refers to an apartment situated in a one- or two-dwelling house or multi-dwelling building that is owned by an owners' association, in which one is a member.
Rented dwelling refers to a rented dwelling where the tenant has a first-hand contract, both in one- or two-dwelling houses and multi-dwelling buildings.
Housing costs
Owner occupied one- or two-dwelling houses: Housing costs refer to the sum of interest costs, amortisation, operating costs, property taxes, tax on deferred capital from housing sales as well as costs for maintenance and repairs.
Owner-occupied apartment: Housing costs refer to the sum of the fees to the owners' association, interest costs and amortisation, tax on deferred capital from housing sales as well as individual costs for maintenance and repairs.
Rented dwelling: Housing costs refer to the sum of the rent and individual costs for maintenance and repairs.
Disposable income is the sum of taxable and tax free income minus taxes and negative transfers.
Statistical Database
More information is available in the Statistical Database
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.