Conor Stewart
Research expert covering health & pharmaceuticals in the UK & Europe
Respiratory disease in Sweden - statistics and facts
Respiratory disease is an acute or chronic illness affecting the respiratory system. Examples of respiratory disease includes disorders such as asthma, pneumonia and bronchitis. In 2021, chronic diseases in the lower respiratory tract was the deadliest respiratory disease in Sweden with 25.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Smoking is one of the major causes of respiratory diseases. Among men, smoking or snusing was much more common compared to women. Almost 40 percent of men age 35 to 44 years reported to smoke or snus in the Scandinavian country, compared for fewer than 14 percent of women.
Asthma in Sweden
Asthma is one of the most prevalent respiratory disorders, and while there is presently no cure, it can typically be managed with proper therapy. Asthma attacks can also occur when the condition's symptoms grow severe, which can be deadly. Between 2008 and 2022, the share of individuals with asthma in Sweden has increased from around 9 percent to 12 percent. Asthma was more prevalent among women compared to men. In 2022, over 13 percent of women were living with asthma, while the rate among men stood at just under 10 percent. Over the last decade, the number of patients receiving specialized outpatient care for asthma has also increased.Lung cancer
In 2021, just under 4.3 thousand new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed in Sweden. This marked the lowest number of annual cases reported since 2016, and the fourth consecutive year of decreasing cases. Although, reporting cases may have been made more difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the stress placed on healthcare services. Generally, women have been more affected by lung cancer than men. Lung cancer survival rates have undergone significant improvement since the turn of the century. With the five-year survival rate after a diagnosis increasing from 11 percent to 21 percent since 2002.
