In the 25 largest municipalities in Sweden, men who are 27 years old have the opportunity to buy a one-room apartment in 19 of the municipalities, while women in the same category can only afford it in six of the municipalities. The men can even buy a two-room apartment in six of the municipalities, while the women cannot afford it in a single municipality, SBAB: survey shows.
– It is incredibly worrying that it is like this, mainly because you see it at such an early age, Linda Hasselvik, housing and private economist at SBAB.
The easiest way is to buy one in Västerås, Jönköping, Norrköping, Borås, Sundsvall and Karlstad. It is most difficult in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Uppsala, Umeå, Lund and Nacka for both men and women.
Big pay differences
According to Linda Hasselvik, the main reason why women find it more difficult to enter the housing market is that they have a much lower income. On average, women between the ages of 25 and 29 in Sweden have roughly SEK 5,355 less in salary than men. The biggest difference is in Södertälje, where the difference is SEK 8,419 – the smallest is in Stockholm, where it is SEK 2,052 a month.
– This means that you do not have sufficient income to cover both the loan and living expenses
in the way that is needed to get a loan granted, says Hasselvik.
– It is incredibly worrying that this is so, mainly because you see it at such an early age.
Consequences later in life
The large wage gap at an early age means that women fall behind men financially, according to Hasselvik.
– This is perhaps often before family-forming age and other things that we know mainly affect women’s wages. For example, people choose to take parental leave to a greater extent. This means that it may not get better, rather the opposite, she says.
It also has consequences later in life, she believes.
– Often you have been able to earn a little from your accommodation over time. Maybe it’s an opportunity that women don’t get. Then you form a family and you buy a house together. But as a woman, you may not be able to buy an equal share of the house, and so you end up behind there.
If the relationship were to end, it would then be more difficult for the women to buy their own home, according to Hasselvik.