A positive development is discernible from the Living Conditions Survey. For nearly the last three decades there have been all the more people reporting that they have really close friendships. In the 2007 survey, 89 percent of the women and 80 percent of the men said they had a really close friend, which can be compared to 80 percent of the women and 68 percent of the men in the surveys from 1980 and 1981.
The percentage answering that they have a really close friend decreases with age, from 94 percent for ages 16-24 to 73 percent for ages 75-84. The difference between the percentage of women and men increases with age and appears greatest after the age of 64. Among persons aged 75-84, there are e.g. 79 percent of women and 66 percent of men indicate that they miss a near friend.
It is more common that younger people aged 16-44 socialise with friends and acquaintances every week, while those aged 55 and older socialise with family members to a greater extent. It is slightly more common for women to socialise with friends and acquaintances as well as family members than it is for men.
More wage earners socialise often with immediate family members
65 percent among responding wage earners said they socialise with immediate family members on a weekly basis, which can be compared to 53 percent among salaried employees. Among salaried employees, it is senior salaried employees that socialise to the least extent (42 percent) with an immediate family member every week.
New information about living conditions in 2007
Aside from information about social relationships, there is now also information from the 2007 Living Conditions Survey about economics, material assets, citizen activities and safety, at the Statistics Sweden website (see the link below).