Changing health inequalities in a changing society? Sweden in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s

Whereas the end of the 1980s was characterized by an economic boom, the ear ly 1990s saw the worst recession since the 1930s. In Sweden, the crisis tha t started in the fall of 1991 and culminated in 1995 meant dramatically inc reased unemployment rates followed by cutbacks in welfare state programs. I n addition, other major changes in economic and political conditions have t aken place during this period, including tax reforms and EU membership. Alt hough public health as well as health inequalities are likely to be linked with these kinds of macro changes, it is unclear what types of changes in h ealth and health inequalities one would expect. In this paper analyses of S wedish data on health inequalities in the periods 1986-87 and 1994-95 are u ndertaken on the basis of the Swedish Surveys of Living Conditions. The mai n finding is that overall health levels as well as differences in health be tween men and women, different age groups, educational groups, social class es, and employment status groups have remained constant.