Country Profiles

Sweden

Context

At the onset of its term of office in 2022, the conservative-liberal Government clarified that it aims to prioritise women’s and girls’ rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through both ODA and by being a strong international voice. As such, the Swedish government remains a SheDecides champion.

Sweeden
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Meanwhile, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs announced the country would no longer call its foreign policy ‘feminist’. Sweden’s new policy framework for development cooperation, “Development assistance for a new era—freedom, empowerment and sustainable growth,” was published in 2023 and places SRHR as a focus in three of the seven thematic priority areas.

 

The directions of Swedish Development policy since 2022 have brought about significant shifts in priorities, with the highest priority given to Ukraine and “neighbourhood countries”, to link development policy with migration policy, and to create synergies between development cooperation and Swedish trade. The Government replaced the “1% of GNI to ODA” target with an ODA framework that fixed an annual ODA budget of 5.3 billion Euros (56 billion SEK) between 2023-2025, and suggested to decrease in 2026-2028, to about 4.6 billion Euros (53 billion SEK) annually. Regarding share of total GNI, the ODA budget for 2022 constituted approximately 0.89% of GNI, in 2023 0.93% and 2024 0.79%.

 

The ambitions of the conservative-liberal Government regarding gender and SRHR, however, have not yet been reflected in additional funding. Swedish ODA to SRHR has remained constant for over a decade at around 7% of total aid, having dropped to about 5% in the last three years. This negative trend can thus be attributed to both the current and the previous government.

Policies & funding

In December 2023, a new Swedish framework for international development cooperation called “Development assistance for a new era – freedom, empowerment and sustainable growth” was published. Out of the seven thematic priority areas, three incorporate aspects of SRHR: Health of the most marginalised, where SRHR is a key focus area; Freedom and fighting oppressions and human rights, which include SRHR and LGBTIQ+ rights; and Women’s and girl’s freedoms and empowerment, where SRHR is one of two focus areas.

In December 2024, the government announced a new global strategy for Heath and SRHR with a total budget of 376 million Euros, or 4.3 billion SEK (2025-2029). The strategy has an integrated approach with references to SRHR as a key component of primary health care, meanwhile also spelling out priority areas, including access to CSE, modern contraceptives, safe abortion services and protection against harmful practices.

In 2022, a new Strategy for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Africa was adopted. The strategy applies from 2022 to 2026 and provides 350 million Euros (3.5 billion SEK). The Swedish government also launched a comprehensive written SRHR dialogue material and two SRHR online e-learning modules for all Sida and MFA staff.

In 2022, core support to UNFPA was 61 million Euros (650 million SEK) compared to 54 million Euros (544 million SEK) in 2021. In 2023 and 2024 the support stabilised (at 40 million Euros or 460 and 480 million SEK). In 2025, the core support is further reduced to 32 million Euros (374 million SEK), the lowest level in decades. Earmarked support to UNFPA increased again in 2024, up to 65 million Euros (754 million SEK), and after having decreased since 2022. The main focus areas of earmarked support were humanitarian programmes in Ukraine, Moldova, Gaza and Sudan; ending female genital mutilation (FGM), improving SRHR for all, and addressing gender-based violence (GBV), priorities that have remained steady between 2021 – 2023.

Core support to UNWOMEN was cut by 55% between 2022 and 2024, but increased by 33% in the budget for 2025, with no further cuts expected the following year. Core support to UNAIDS is being phased out by 2025. For the period 2023–2025, Sweden committed to contributing 262 million Euros (3 billion SEK) to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, but ended contributing only 208 million Euros (2.38 billion SEK). The Government’s allocation to the Global Fund for the 2026 fiscal year amounts to 60 million Euros (683 million SEK), corresponding with the yearly disbursement made in 2025.

Internationally vocal

In November 2024, Sweden, together with the other Nordic Countries, announced the “Pushing for Progress – Towards gender equality and equal rights for LGBTI persons 2025–2027” declaration. This is a Nordic initiative led by the Nordic Ministers for Gender Equality & LGBTIQ+, focusing on defending and advancing gender equality, SRHR and equal rights, especially in light of increasing global ‘push-back’. The Swedish Minister for Gender Equality played a central role in shaping the initiative and spoke on the Nordic Ministers’ Panel at the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) as part of Pushing for Progress. Through the initiative, Sweden is helping to lead a Nordic effort to defend and advance gender equality, SRHR and LGBTIQ+ rights globally, including at platforms such as the CSW and the Commission on Population and Development.

Sweden’s keynote speeches in the last CSW sessions contained several statements on SRHR, including the importance of safe and legal abortion, contraception and comprehensive sexuality education. The speeches also included several references to the importance of combating gender-based violence and the roles and responsibilities of boys and young men to eradicate GBV.

Forecast

Funding to SRH/FP and SRHR is expected to decrease in the future due to the overall ODA cuts. In the 2026 ODA budget, Sida’s SRHR- strategies are protected from cuts, in stark contrast with other thematic lines and strategies that are cut by 30 – 100%. Core support to UNFPA and UN Women is left untouched and Sweden’s commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for 2026 is at the same level as in 2025.  The budget for the civil society strategy, which is the third largest channel for SRHR, remains unchanged. Despite these protected allocations, Sweden’s overall ODA reduction will lead to less resources allocated to SRHR, as the majority of the country’s bilateral strategies are either being phased out or subjected to significant budget reductions in 2026.  

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