The 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 concrete living conditions. It is one of the oldest ongoing panel surveys in the world.

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.

Surveys from 1968 to present time

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.

With each new wave, the sample is refreshed by adding young people and newly arrived immigrants. All participants get questions on a range of areas including health, work, family, education, finances, leisure and safety.

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). Interview data is complemented with register data on, for example, income and education.

In addition to LNU, the following surveys are also available: