An index of multiple deprivation in Sweden: measuring area-level socio-economic inequalities.

Area-level measures of deprivation in Sweden often rely on limited socio-economic indicators, such as income or education. To address this, we developed the Index of Multiple Deprivation in Sweden (IMDIS) to capture a multitude of explanatory factors for socio-economic inequalities and the distribution across small areas in Sweden. The IMDIS is a compositional index constructed for small areas in Sweden in 2015 and combines 15 indicators across 4 domains (Housing, Employment, Income and Capital, and Education) into an overall deprivation score. Indicators were selected and spatially smoothed to mitigate the effect of small numbers and increase robustness. Domains were constructed using a weighted average of underlying indicators, allowing detailed examination of the significance each domain or indicator has in small areas, and were further combined using explicit weights. All areas were subsequently ranked from the 1st least to 5984th most deprived area. For each area, we generated three key outputs: a score, a rank, and assignment to a deprivation decile. The IMDIS showed high internal consistency and revealed stark geographic inequalities in deprivation. The most deprived areas were concentrated in urban regions, particularly Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. Housing deprivation was more prominent in urban areas, while educational deprivation was more prevalent in rural and peripheral regions. The IMDIS offers a comprehensive measure of multiple deprivation at the small-area level in Sweden. Its domains and indicators can be used individually or combined to identify inequalities in vulnerable areas and explore geographic patterns, supporting a deeper understanding of social disparities.