The number of people receiving annuity for work injuries in Sweden has decreased by about 84% since the late 1990s, from about 91,000 in 1999 to under 14,700 in 2025, according to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. The decline stems mainly from legislative changes but also from improvements in the physical work environment and a changing working life, the agency said. Annuity is compensation for a work injury that compensates for future income losses and differs from sick pay and sickness compensation, the agency said.
A 2003 legislative change prevented the agency from initiating investigations into a person's right to annuity, according to the agency. A 2008 change made the requirements for sickness compensation and annuity no longer the same, removing a natural time to apply, according to the agency. According to the agency, among current recipients, 60% are men and 40% women.
Men most commonly receive annuity from construction, transport, and manufacturing, while women from care occupations, especially assistant nurses and care aides, according to the agency. Over the last ten years, annuity due to psychiatric diagnoses has become more common, especially among women, while annuity due to musculoskeletal diseases and injuries has decreased significantly, according to the agency. The change reflects a transforming working life and improved knowledge about work-related ill health, the agency said.
Basic criteria require a disease or injury reducing work ability for at least one year, the disease or injury must be permanent, and the work ability reduction must be at least half permanent, according to the agency. After that, the agency investigates if it is a work injury, according to the agency. The specific compensation amounts and exact psychiatric diagnoses were not detailed.