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Resignations from the Riksdag and municipal councils have decreased somewhat - but not from regional councils

Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2020-06-01 9.30

Resignations from the Riksdag and municipal councils have decreased one year into the electoral period compared to the previous electoral period, while resignations from regional councils have increased. Resignations at regional council and municipal county level are most common among young elected officials, according to the statistics.

Resignations from the Riksdag and municipal councils have decreased one year into the electoral period compared to the previous electoral period, while resignations from regional councils have increased. Resignations at regional council and municipal county level are most common among young elected officials, according to the statistics.

The largest proportion of resignations is a municipal council level, 5.7 percent of elected representatives in 2018 have resigned after one year. This is around 0.5 percentage points less than the corresponding proportion one year into the previous electoral period. In regional councils, 5.2 percent of representatives elected in 2018 resigned from the council after one year, which is an increase of around 0.5 percentage points. Among members of the Riksdag, 3.7 percent had resigned after one year, which corresponds to a decrease of around one percentage point. Compared with two or more electoral periods ago in the 2000s, one year into the electoral period, resignations have now instead increased in all political assemblies.

Resignations among elected representatives from the Riksdag, regional- and municipal councils one year into the electoral period, 2002-2018

Diagram

In municipal councils, resignations among women are slightly more common, while resignations from the Riksdag and regional councils are more common among men. The same proportions were also present one year into the previous electoral period.

In municipal councils and regional councils, it is considerably more common for young people below 30 years to resign. In the youngest age group, the proportion of resignations is around 10 percent one year into the electoral period. In the Riksdag, on the other hand, there have been no resignations in the age group 18-29 years one year into the electoral period.

Green Party has the highest share of resignations in municipal councils

In the Riksdag, the Christian Democrats have the highest proportion of resignations after one year, followed by the Moderate Party. In regional councils, the Sweden Democrats have the highest proportion of resignations, followed by the Green Party. In municipal councils, resignations are most common among elected candidates in the Green Party, followed by the Sweden Democrats.

Resignations among elected representatives in the Riksdag, municipal councils and regional councils one year into the electoral period, by political party, 2018 elections

Diagram

There may be many reasons why an elected representative resigns from their political office before the end of the electoral period. During the 2010-2014 electoral period, Statistics Sweden carried out surveys to examine the reasons for resignations and the results are presented in the report ‘The representatives of democracy’. The report shows that resignations are, above all, based on personal reasons. Personal reasons include health, work and family conditions, as well as moving away from the municipality.

Earlier studies have also shown that many of those who resign during an electoral period choose to stand for election at a later date.

Definitions and explanations

The Election Authority regularly published information on candidates who resign from their political office during the electoral period, as well as who replaces them. Statistics Sweden’s statistics on resignations among elected representatives are based on the Election Authority’s data. Statistics Sweden’s statistics on resignations only presents resignations among officials who were elected in the elections, not resignations among substitutes. Resignations between 2018-09-09 and 2019-09-09 are presented here.

Publication

Here is a link to the report ‘Demokratins representanter’ (mentioned above):

Demokratins representanter (pdf)

Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.

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Statistics Sweden, Democracy Statistics

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