Sweden self-employed pension reform

Sweden has implemented pension reforms for self-employed workers through royal decree 11/2024. The new rules, which took effect in April 2025, provide financial incentives for delaying retirement. Specifically, self-employed individuals can increase their future pension by 2% for work periods lasting more than six months but less than a year, supplementing the existing 4% annual increase for full years of delayed work.

Data shows that self-employed workers utilize delayed retirement at a significantly higher rate than employees, with 31.1% of new RETA retirements following this model compared to 6% in the general regime.

Despite these incentives, the rising retirement age has drawn criticism. Opponents argue the policy creates undue pressure on those in physically demanding sectors, such as healthcare and manual labor, where occupational injuries and exhaustion are common. There are ongoing calls for structural adjustments, such as work-life supplements or increased contributions, to protect the economic and physical security of long-term workers.