EQUITY 2000
Examining the development of health inequalities in Sweden since the turn of the millennium
The EQUITY 2000 research program utilises comprehensive register data to examine the development of health inequalities in Sweden since the year 2000. More specifically, the project seeks to understand the ways in which societal institutions influence health inequalities in Sweden, while also considering the role of global and national trends, such as technological developments and ageing populations. The overall aim of EQUITY 2000 is addressed via two overarching research questions:
1. How do societal institutions shape the interplay between social and biological processes that generate inequalities in physical and mental health?
2. How have global and national trends affected health inequalities in terms of (a) the interplay between social and biological processes and (b) the role played by societal institutions in this interaction?
Data availability and access
The EQUITY 2000 data is available to researchers and students who are interested in answering the overarching research questions of EQUITY 2000. Participating researchers must adhere to strict data security standards when utilizing the data, which is accessible via the Microdata Online Access (MONA) platform, maintained by Statistics Sweden.
Read more about the procedures for accessing the data
Access the application form to use the data
The EQUITY 2000 data is available to researchers and students who are interested in answering the overarching research questions of EQUITY 2000. Participating researchers must adhere to strict data security standards when utilizing the data, which is accessible via the Microdata Online Access (MONA) platform, maintained by Statistics Sweden.
Read more about the procedures for accessing the data
Access the application form to use the data
Index population and available register information
The index population includes all individuals who have been registered as residents in Sweden anytime from the year 2000, until the most currently available information, as well as living or dead biological/adoptive parents to persons in this index population.
EQUITY 2000 is comprised of individual-level register data from several Swedish authorities. The register information is pseudonymised, whereby all personal identifiers are removed and replaced with random identification numbers. This entails that data from different registers can be linked at the individual-level while also ensuring anonymity of individuals included in the data. The compilation of information from several authorities facilitates a comprehensive analysis of the ways in which predominant social institutions are related to health inequalities in Sweden, including the roles of health care systems, the educational system, the labour market, the financial regulatory system, the criminal justice system, as well as social insurance and social services.
The registers within EQUITY 2000 that are used to answer the primary research questions are listed below. Please note that the dates of availability of specific variables within in each register may vary.
The index population includes all individuals who have been registered as residents in Sweden anytime from the year 2000, until the most currently available information, as well as living or dead biological/adoptive parents to persons in this index population.
EQUITY 2000 is comprised of individual-level register data from several Swedish authorities. The register information is pseudonymised, whereby all personal identifiers are removed and replaced with random identification numbers. This entails that data from different registers can be linked at the individual-level while also ensuring anonymity of individuals included in the data. The compilation of information from several authorities facilitates a comprehensive analysis of the ways in which predominant social institutions are related to health inequalities in Sweden, including the roles of health care systems, the educational system, the labour market, the financial regulatory system, the criminal justice system, as well as social insurance and social services.
The registers within EQUITY 2000 that are used to answer the primary research questions are listed below. Please note that the dates of availability of specific variables within in each register may vary.
Statistics Sweden (SCB)
| Total Population Register (RTB) | 1990–2024 |
| Longitudinal Integrated Database for Health Insurance and Labour Market Studies (LISA) | 1990–2024 |
| Labour Force Surveys (AKU) | 2005-2020 |
| Income and Taxation Register (IoT) | 2000-2023 |
| Geographical database | 2003-2023 |
| Register for Integration Studies (STATIV) | 1997-2024 |
| Education Register | 2012-2024 |
| Register of Persons in Higher Education (RPU) | 2001-2024 |
| Compulsory Education Register | 2000-2024 |
| Upper Secondary Education Register | 2000-2024 |
| Adult Education Register | 2019-2024 |
The National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen)
| National Register of Care and Social Services for the Elderly and Persons with Impairments | 2007-2025 |
| National Cause of Death Register | 1952-2000; 2022-2025 |
| National Register of Social Assistance | 2000-2025 |
| National Register of Municipal Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments | 2000-2025 |
| National Register of Measures for Children and Young Persons | 2000-2025 |
| National Prescribed Drug Register | 2005-2025 |
| National Patient Registers (inpatient and outpatient) | 2000-2025 |
| National Dental Health Register | 2008-2025 |
| National Register of Care for Substance Abuse | 2000-2025 |
Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (BRÅ)
| Register of Criminal Convictions | 2000-2025 |
Contribution
EQUITY 2000 will contribute to increased knowledge about the processes that lead to ill health and health inequalities in the general population as well as vulnerable groups in Sweden. The programme’s focus on contemporary global and national trends and the significance of various social institutions means that the knowledge generated from EQUITY 2000 will be highly relevant for both policy and for public authorities in addressing health inequalities.
EQUITY 2000 will contribute to increased knowledge about the processes that lead to ill health and health inequalities in the general population as well as vulnerable groups in Sweden. The programme’s focus on contemporary global and national trends and the significance of various social institutions means that the knowledge generated from EQUITY 2000 will be highly relevant for both policy and for public authorities in addressing health inequalities.
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