Globeknot’s report on financial security was presented on Thursday, June 25, 2026, during Almedalen Week in Skandia’s garden by Olof Gränström, after which Frida Boisen led a discussion together with Ida Karkiainen, the Pension Group (S), Alexandra Ivanov Hökmark, Timbro Think Tank, Olof Gränström, and Mattias Munter, Skandia

Introduction to the Report

Security is a word often used as if its meaning were self-evident. It isn’t. For most people, security is less about grand principles and more about the leeway they have in everyday life: whether their money will last, whether a break in their career is manageable, and whether the future feels clear enough for them to dare to plan beyond the next month. Security, in particular, requires this kind of dual perspective. Issues related to finances, work, and retirement rarely change overnight. They evolve over years, sometimes over decades.

But the debate surrounding these issues often follows the same rhythm as the news cycle: fast-paced, reactive, and reluctant to dwell on matters that may not sound dramatic but nonetheless shape people’s everyday lives. As a result, the conclusions tend to be too extreme. Either everything sounds like a crisis, or everything sounds as if the problems are being exaggerated. This report attempts to take a different approach. It does not seek to win an argument. It seeks to improve the discussion. The goal is simple: to provide a clearer picture of what security actually looks like, where the cracks are widest, and why the pension issue is fundamentally as much about comprehensibility as it is about levels. This is also where GlobeKnot’s purpose becomes most evident. We generate knowledge to provide context, not just to attract attention.

Report authors: Olof Gränström and Torbjörn Sjöström

This report is funded by Skandia Occupational Pension Insurance & Banking – Private Companies | Skandia

Some of the key insights from the report are presented here; the full report can be read and downloaded below.

The foundation of our society is strong. There is an important nuance to understand: Sweden rests on a strong economic foundation. Many people are on solid footing, are willing to take responsibility for their future, and want to plan for the long term. The challenge is to move beyond black-and-white headlines and instead recognize that we have a society that encompasses both stability and clear divisions.

The Groups Under the Most Pressure and the Challenges They Face Despite the general sense of security, there are clearly defined groups that are experiencing significant pressure:

• Economically vulnerable: One in five people lacks financial leeway, and one in three feels constant anxiety about their finances.
• Women aged 35–49: Identified as the biggest real problem. This group faces a severe lack of financial leeway, has difficulty understanding their retirement options, and doubts their ability to continue working until retirement. Immediate attention must be given to helping them understand their situation and to implementing measures that provide a sense of security.
• Young adults: Experience a specific sense of uncertainty linked to the expectation that their working lives will be subject to change.
• Occupational Health: Nearly one in four Swedes doubts their ability to keep working until retirement, which is a major source of concern for the future.
• The Pension Paradox: There is a disconnect between the collective need to work longer and the individual’s desire to retire early. This creates an underlying conflict that policymakers risk exacerbating if they rely on imposing requirements rather than on dialogue and clarity.
• The Democratic Gap: A troubling trend is that politicians are increasingly placing the responsibility for complex transitions on the individual without offering clear “roadmaps.” This undermines trust and makes politics appear to be imposing demands on “subjects” rather than fulfilling a mandate from the people.

The Way Forward: From Headlines to Reality Financial security is not a “soft” issue, but a prerequisite for people to be free and forward-looking. When margins shrink, people are forced into short-term thinking.

Here, it is important to move the conversation beyond simplistic, headline-driven thinking. We need to acknowledge the differences in people’s life situations instead of treating retirement as a uniform issue for everyone. We need to make the discussion less moralizing and more informative—to give people the tools and understanding they need to actually take on the responsibility they themselves wish to assume.

Read the full report below