Swedish Level-of-Living Survey (LNU)
The Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) follows people’s living conditions in Sweden over time. A representative sample of the adult population is regularly invited to take part in the survey. Since 1968, LNU has provided valuable insights into how people’s living conditions and Swedish society have changed.
Cyclists on a bridge in Stockholm. Photo: Mostphotos/Roland Magnusson.
LNU is one of the world’s longest-running surveys of people’s living conditions. It was first conducted in 1968 following a proposal from the Low-Income Commission, a government inquiry tasked with mapping the living conditions of low-income earners. Since then, LNU has been conducted several times, approximately every ten years.
Living conditions in a broad sense
The purpose of LNU is to study people’s living conditions and how they change over time. A sample of the Swedish population is invited to answer questions about their living conditions. The survey covers many important areas of life, including housing, family, health, education, work, finances and leisure. Over the years, the questions have been adapted to reflect contemporary society, while the core content has remained consistent, allowing results to be compared across survey waves.
A nationally representative sample
A representative sample of the adult population is invited to participate in LNU. By 2010, the survey samples had included a total of around 7,000 individuals. In the most recent data collection waves, the sample size has increased to approximately 20,000 individuals per wave. A substantial part of LNU consists of a panel whose members are invited to participate in each wave, making it possible to follow the same individuals over long periods of their lives. Data were previously collected through interviews, but in recent years the survey has shifted to questionnaires completed by the participants themselves.
LNU also includes several supplementary studies, in which participants’ managers, partners or children have answered questions. In connection with LNU 2010, a separate study examined the living conditions of foreign-born individuals and their children. It included largely the same questions as the main survey, making it possible to compare the group’s living conditions with those of the population as a whole.
Contributing to research and public debate
LNU makes it possible to study key questions about people’s living conditions and has therefore played an important role in Swedish welfare research. By following the same individuals over time, researchers can examine how childhood conditions affect adult life, how working conditions are linked to health and what role education plays in working life.
LNU has attracted considerable attention both in Sweden and internationally. It has provided the basis for extensive research, including numerous doctoral theses and reports, as well as hundreds of scientific articles. Research findings based on LNU have informed public debate and contributed to policy decisions in areas such as retirement age, labour market policy, work environment legislation and adult education.
About the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU)
LNU is a recurring, nationally representative survey of living conditions in Sweden. Data collections have been conducted in 1968, 1974, 1981, 1991, 2000, 2010, 2020–2022 and 2026. Participants are currently between 19 and 75 years old, although the minimum age was lower in early waves.
Up to and including LNU 2010, around 7,000 individuals were invited to participate in each data collection wave. The samples have been considerably larger in the two most recent waves, with approximately 20,000 individuals in 2026. Many participants have taken part in several waves.
LNU is conducted by the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) at Stockholm University. The project leaders are Carina Mood and Martin Hällsten, both professors of Sociology.
Explore LNU research and data
The LNU publications page presents books, articles, doctoral theses and other publications based on LNU data.
On the LNU visualisations website, you can explore LNU data at group level and create charts and tables for different areas covered by the survey.
Explore LNU data in the visualisation tool (in Swedish)
Information for researchers
LNU enables researchers to analyse how different aspects of people’s living conditions are connected and how they change in the long term. Researchers can apply for access to LNU data for use in their own projects. More information about the data, terms of use and the application process is available on the page for researchers.
Information for participants
By participating in LNU, you contribute to valuable research on living conditions in Sweden. Your participation helps researchers, public authorities and decision-makers understand how people’s living conditions and society change over time. More information for invited participants is available on the participant page.
For participants in the Level of Living Survey (in Swedish)
Last updated: 2026-11-10
Source: Swedish Institute for Social Research