Conor Stewart
Research expert covering health & pharmaceuticals in the UK & Europe
Get in touch with us nowCancer in Sweden
Cancer was the second-leading cause of death in Sweden in 2020 with around 23.5 thousand deaths, only causing fewer deaths than diseases of the circulatory system. The most common type of cancer among women in Sweden is breast cancer with over 12 thousand cases in 2020. The most common type of cancer among men was skin cancer (excluding malignant melanomas) with around 11.7 thousand cases. In 15 years, the five-year survival rate from cancer in Sweden has increased from just over 61 percent in 2002 to around 73 percent in 2017. The five-year survival rate is defined as the share of people who are alive five years after a cancer diagnosis. In Sweden, women aged between 50 and 69 years of age (as well as those aged 40 to 49 and 70 to 74 years in some counties) are regularly invited to mammography screenings which has been acknowledged as a primary reason for the relatively high survival rates of breast cancer in the country.Obesity in Sweden
Obesity is one of main risk factors for some of the most prevalent health conditions in Sweden. If a person is overweight or obese their risk is increased of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain cancers. In 2020, half of the population in Sweden was classed as either overweight or obese. According to WHO guidelines, being overweight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of over 25, while obesity is having a BMI greater than 30. When broken down by gender, around 57 percent of men in Sweden were overweight or obese, while 43 percent of women had a BMI greater than 25.
