How are children in Sweden doing in 2025?
The Children's Report 2025 by Eurochild member Bris provides insight into children's living conditions and Bris' recommendations for a better society for children and highlights three key issues: gang crime, eating disorders, and children in the digital environment.
Approximately two million children live in Sweden. The year 2024 was marked by uncertainty in many respects. It was the warmest year ever recorded globally. Issues concerning defence and national security became increasingly prominent. The economic downturn and high unemployment continued to affect families, making it difficult for many to make ends meet. At the same time, problems related to gang crime and mental health worsened. Together, these developments have contributed to a growing sense of anxiety about the future in the lives of many children and young people.
Based on how children describe their lives and on research, the report concludes that society is failing to provide children and young people with the support they need. The fact that more children than ever are seeking support from Bris is a cry for help.
- Mental health
Since the pandemic, conversations about eating disorders have increased dramatically. Social media and digital platforms influence children's perceptions of themselves and their bodies, and many describe pressure to look and behave in a certain way. At the same time, access to healthcare has become increasingly difficult, leaving many children without support when they need it most. The conversations also reveal that many children with eating disorders involving food restriction often start limiting their eating at school. Some describe how it is easy to skip school lunches due to a general attitude that school food is unappetising, while weighing and measuring in school health services can trigger thoughts about body image and weight.
- Gang crime
Calls to Bris about crime have tripled since 2022. Children speak of being lured, tricked, or forced into gangs and how difficult it is to get out. They describe a daily life where threats and violence are routine, and where they face impossible choices – stay and risk their lives, or try to leave and put themselves and their loved ones in danger. At the same time, many children express a longing for a second chance, a different life, but feel that society does not offer them that opportunity in time.
- Digital
Ninety-six per cent of children aged 8 to 19 use the internet every day. Digital platforms provide opportunities for connection and community but also bring risks such as online harassment, harmful content, and increased mental health issues. Children talk about the impact of negative comments, misinformation, and the constant stream of online content, which creates stress and anxiety.
Many children say they struggle to tear themselves away from screens and worry that endless scrolling is taking over their lives. However, they also describe being affected by how adults talk about their screen time. Arguments about digital use often lead to feelings of guilt and shame, making it harder for children to seek support in an online world that can be difficult to navigate.