Among the Nordic countries Sweden has the highest share of people aged 65 and above with a disposable income below the threshold for being at risk of poverty. 17 percent of Swedes aged 65 and above have a low disposable income compared to between 9 and 12 percent in the other Nordic countries.

According to the EU definition persons at risk of poverty are those living in a household with a disposable income (after social transfers) per consumption unit of less than 60 percent of the median income for all persons in the country.

14 percent of the EU population aged 65 and above has a disposable income below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold.

It is more common for people aged 75 and above to have an income below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold. One in four aged 75 and older has a low disposable income compared to one in nine aged between 65 and 74.

Older women are at risk of poverty to a greater extent than older men. Roughly one in three women aged 75 and above compared to one in seven men in the same age group. Contributing factors include the fact that almost every other woman aged 65 years and over is living alone compared to just over every fourth man in the same age group, and that women's pensions are generally lower than men's.

Other results from EU-SILC

• Three percent of Swedes state that they have great difficulty in meeting the household budget, in line with the share in the other Nordic countries. The corresponding figure for the EU is 10 percent.
• 22 percent of the households’ disposable income is used to pay for housing costs in Sweden, approximately corresponding to the EU average.
• 9 percent of foreign born Swedes experience material deprivation compared to 2 percent of Swedes born in Sweden with both Swedish-born parents.