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 SRHR through ODA and by being a strong international voice.

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 within three out of seven thematic priority areas.


The directions of Swedish Development policy since the shift in governments in 2022 have brought about significant shifts in priorities, with the highest importance 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 has replaced the “1% of GNA to ODA” target with an ODA framework that guarantees a fixed annual ODA budget of 5.3 billion Euros (56 billion SEK) for 2023-2025. This budget framework is suggested to decrease in 2026-2028, to about 4.6 billion Euros (53 billion SEK) annually. Regarding Swedish kronor (SEK), the ODA budget for 2023 remained roughly at the same level as in 2022, constituting approximately 0.88% of GNI. These cuts follow reductions made by the Social democratic Government in 2022, when significant portions of funds were redirected towards initiatives in Ukraine and in-country refugee costs in Sweden.


The ambitions of the conservative-liberal Government around gender and SRHR have, however, not yet been reflected in additional funding. Swedish ODA to SRHR has remained constant for over a decade at around 7% of total aid. In 2022, the share dropped to 5.1% and continued to decline in 2023, to 4.7%. This negative trend break can thus be attributed to both the current and the previous government. The letter of appropriation to Sida 2024 contained no new assignment to Sida linked to gender equality or SRHR, apart from a reporting assignment for the Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security.

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, were 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 375 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 will apply from 2022 to 2026 and provide 350 million Euros (3 500 million 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) but in the budget for 2025, the core support is further reduced to 398 million SEK, the lowest level in decades. Earmarked support to UNFPA also decreased in 2022 – but increased again in 2023. The main focus areas of earmarked support are ending female genital mutilation (FGM), improving SRHR for all, and addressing gender-based violence (GBV), priorities that have remained steady across 2021, 2022, and 2023.

 
In 2023, substantial amounts were channelled to /earmarked for UNFPA’s humanitarian work. Close to 9 million Euros (97,5 million SEK) was earmarked for humanitarian response to the crisis in Ukraine and Moldova. Similarly, in 2024, 97,5 billion SEK was earmarked for humanitarian response in Ukraine, Moldova, Gaza and Sudan


Core support to UNWOMEN was cut by 55 percent between 2022 and 2024, but increases by 33% in the budget for 2025. Core support to UNAIDS is being phased out by 2025 and the core support to the Global Fund 2025 continues to significantly decrease in 2024 and in the budget for 2025.

Internationally vocal

Sweden’s keynote speeches at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) annual meetings in 2023 and 2024 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 responsibility of boys and young men to eradicate GBV. In 2023, Sweden – as the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU – also delivered the EU’s keynote speech at CSW 2023, which included references to SRHR and the Beijing Platform for Action, including reference to the importance of comprehensive sexuality education and the positive and negative links between SRHR and digitalisation. The Swedish EU Presidency produced draft Council Conclusions for adopting the EU Global Health Strategy, with strong SRHR language (at that point, the Council Conclusions were however blocked, having been later adopted by the EU Council in 2024 under the Belgian Presidency).

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