Malmö city joined the World Health Organization's Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities last year, which works to create cities where older people can live, thrive, and live independent lives. In 2025, a number of dialogue meetings were held with Malmö residents focusing on how to create an age-friendly Malmö. The Forum for Democracy and Human Rights produced a report based on the meetings where Malmö's elderly shared what they need and want to thrive in the city. The three dialogue meetings focused on different aspects of elderly needs: Housing, Information and Communication, and Participation. Many participants emphasized the importance of feeling safe in their area and home, and feeling included by the community around them. Participants primarily stated that the focus should not be on a person's age, but instead on the interests, needs, and abilities the person has. Overall, the dialogue meetings were highly appreciated, and more meeting opportunities in the future were desired.
The proportion of elderly people is expected to increase in Malmö over the next ten years, as in the rest of Sweden and many other parts of the world.
Attacks, hate, and threats against politicians have received significant attention over the past year. This has raised questions about the public discourse climate and how the vulnerability affects people with political assignments. Ahead of the election year, there is concern that the pressure on elected representatives could increase further. The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention's mappings show that vulnerability often increases during election years. Politicians who are more visible, for example in media or through leading assignments, also run a greater risk of being affected.
To get a better picture of the situation, Malmö city has commissioned Malmö University to map how the city's elected representatives experience hate, threats, and harassment. The National Council for Crime Prevention only studies members of the parliament and in regional and municipal assemblies, meaning many local elected representatives are not included in the study. Data collection is currently ongoing, and the first results are expected to be presented at the beginning of the summer. The results are intended to form the basis for developed support and preventive work.