Sweden sees surge in discrimination complaints in health care amid generally high patient satisfaction

A 2025 report from the Patient Board in Region Stockholm recorded 217 complaints of perceived discrimination, a rise of about 60 % from the previous year and the highest number since monitoring began in 2020. Since 2020 the board has received 884 complaints, most commonly based on ethnicity (38 %), disability (29 %) and age (15 %). The complaints concentrate on emergency hospitals, primary‑care centres and psychiatric services, with women filing nearly twice as many reports as men. Patients with foreign backgrounds cite issues such as being questioned about their name, language or ethnicity, longer waiting times, lack of sign‑language interpreters and feeling undervalued.

In parallel, a national patient survey conducted in 2025, covering over 416 000 questionnaires and receiving 180 000 responses (45.2 % response rate), found that almost eight out of ten patients rated their experience at health‑ and primary‑care centres as good, with waiting times seen as reasonable and staff interaction receiving high marks. Six out of ten regarded the care as very good, and a majority expressed confidence in and knowledgeability of their doctors.

Together the data show that while the majority of Swedish patients report positive experiences with primary care, experiences of discrimination are rising sharply, highlighting areas for improvement within the health system.