The Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU)
LNU is a recurring survey in which a sample of Sweden's adult population is interviewed or fills out questionnaires about their living conditions. It is one of the oldest ongoing panel surveys in the world.
About LNU
The purpose of LNU is to study people's living conditions and how they change over time, for different groups of the population. Data from the surveys are used in Swedish social research on people's living conditions and welfare. The results have had great significance in the public debate and have been used as a basis for many political decisions.
The survey was first conducted more than half a century ago, in 1968, and has since been repeated six times. The latest data collection was carried out from 2020 to 2022. A significant panel has been interviewed on all seven occasions and many individuals have been interviewed on at least two occasions.
Representative of the whole Swedish population
LNU is carried out with a nationally representative sample of the Swedish population aged 18–75 years. Data is included for up to 6,000 respondents per wave until 2010 and for approximately 20,000 respondents in the latest data collection (2020–22). A new collection of LNU data, the eighth in the series, will be carried out in 2026 with an expected number of respondents of approximately 10,000.
With each new wave, the sample is refreshed by adding young people and newly arrived immigrants. All participants get questions on a range of topics including health, work, family, education, finances, leisure and safety. Interview data is complemented with register data on, for example, income and education.
In addition to LNU, the following surveys are also available:
- The Establishment Survey 1991 and 2000 (Arbetsplatsundersökningen)
- Old-Age-LNU (SWEOLD), since 1992
- Partner-LNU, since 2000
- Child-LNU, since 2000
- Youth-LNU, since 2010
- LNU-UFB (foreign-born and their children) 2010.
Access to data
Researchers are welcome to apply for LNU data for their own research purposes. All applications are assessed by a data disclosure committee consisting of researchers at the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI).
Conditions for data disclosure and rules for using LNU data (in Swedish)
The Swedish Level of Living survey (LNU)
LNU is a recurring survey in which a sample of Sweden's adult population is interviewed or fills out questionnaires about their living conditions.
The purpose of LNU is to study people's living conditions and how these change over time. The survey has been carried out seven times since 1968 . The eighth round of LNU data collection is being carried out during 2026.
LNU is located at the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), Stockholm University. Project leaders for LNU are Carina Mood, professor of sociology and Martin Hällsten, professor of sociology.
Contact
Last updated: 2026-03-06
Source: REWHARD