2004 The landscape of ageing. Housing and migration of the elderly
by Urban Fransson (ed.). Gävle: Institute for Housing and Urban Research

Abstract
This report deals with the geographical distribution of elderly people in Sweden. The future development of the numbers of inhabitants belonging to the workforce is discussed in relation to the numbers of inhabitants belonging to the workforce is discussed in relation to the numbers of elderly inhabitants that are not part of the workforce, and this is put in relation to the expected changes in Western Europe. There are significant differences across Sweden in terms of age-structure and the so-called dependency ratio. This imbalance provides the context for how the welfare of the elderly may develop in the future. The report also provides an overview of Swedish and international research concerning migration of the elderly. Many Swedish municipalities have a significant share of elderly inhabitants and the geographical mobility of this population is small. The extent of elderly interregional migration is analyzed in terms of which categories of municipalities attract or repel this population as estimated by their migration patterns.

The report provides an insight into how the next generation of elderly, those who were born in the 1940ies, may migrate within the near future. Help and support from the relatives of the elderly has grown in importance over the years and is expected to continue doing so in the years to come. Although a majority of elderly have relatives in their geographical proximity, a significant share does not. This may have a negative effect on the ability of the elderly to stay in their houses and environments that they are familiar with and where they have accumulated place specific capital, which they are at risk of reducing if moving becomes necessary The report also provides examples of municipalities where elderly people lack suitable housing in their neighbourhood even if they wanted to move.