One in ten Swedish preschools could soon close

More than one in ten preschools may be forced to close in the next three years, says Annika Wallenskog, chief economist at the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR). The reason is that too few children are being born in the country.

There are currently 9,450 preschools in Sweden, but according to SKR’s new economic report, about 12 percent of them will have to close by 2027. The calculation is based on a forecast of annual population growth of between 25,000 and 30,000 people over the next decade.

– In theory, over a thousand preschools will disappear, Wallenskog told the Bonnier newspaper DN.

However, this forecast was made before Statistics Sweden presented the figures for newborns in the first half of this year, which stood at 50,500 children, about 1,000 fewer than in the first half of 2023, and significantly lower than previous levels.

– The trend in large cities and suburban communities has long been one of rapid population growth – which has been taken for granted. Rural communities are more accustomed to it, and it doesn’t hit them as hard because they’re not losing as many children compared to previous projections, Wallenskog explains.

– Right now we should have the world’s baby boom, because the 90s are in their childbearing years. They are many, unlike the group born after them, which is quite small. So even if the fertility rate per woman in that group goes up a bit, there are not enough women of childbearing age to make up for it, she continues.