The reality of life for trans* people in Sweden is not free of problems and experienced discrimination, despite the positive image Sweden conveys to the outside world. In a 2019 survey of trans* people  by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights, Swedish interviewees gave their life satisfaction a score of 5.9 (out of 10), which is slightly above the general average of 5.6. Almost half of the 370 interviewees said they had been discriminated against or harassed for being trans* in 2013. 10% of the interviewees highlighted having been a victim of transphobic hate crime in 2015. According to the survey, this makes Sweden one of the safest countries in Europe for trans* people compared to other European countries.

Here too, as in Germany, it is problematic that only a fraction of the experiences is reflected in police statistics  Negative experiences can limit trans* people’s lives. The survey shows that, in fear of discrimination, more than 20% of the interviewees do not dress accordingly to their gender identity but rather to heteronormative expectations of their assumed gender. In addition, more than half of the interviewees stated they avoid places in order to protect themselves.

The organisation Transgender Europe (TGEU) makes clear in its study published in 2017 that only around half of the 400 surveyed trans* people reported themselves to be in ‘good’ health conditions. In terms of mental health, 37% of interviewees reported that they had been affected by serious suicidal thoughts at least once in their lives.

According to the FRA, the proportion of trans* people who experienced discrimination from health professional in 2013 was 26%, the same as in Germany and the UK, and second highest in Europe. The organisation Transgender Europe (TGEU) has found that a widespread problem in the context of gender-related medical care is long waiting periods. However, the fact that, according to the study, the right to reimbursement for surgical operation is taken for granted by a large part of the population can be seen as a positive development.

According to the FRA study, the atmosphere in the work environment is described by trans* people as more pleasant than in the educational environment. Only a third of the interviewees consider the school environment to be trans* friendly. An equal number reported experienced discrimination in 2013. In the employment sector, on the other hand, the situation seems to be comparatively better. According to the study ‘Being Trans in the European Union’, the percentage of discrimination in job search is the lowest in Europe with 17% in 2013. 60% report a generally positive working environment towards trans* people. The actual percentage of experienced discrimination in the workplace in 2013 is also one of the lowest in Europe, at 22%, according to the survey.

Two measures for which Sweden can be perceived as more progressive by international comparison are the widespread use of unisex toilets and the official introduction of a third gender-neutral pronoun. Gender-neutral toilets  are the norm in Swedish libraries, supermarkets or official buildings. The gender-neutral pronoun ‘hen’ (alongside ‘hon’ = she and ‘han’ = he) was added to the Swedish dictionary in 2015, while the gender asterisk is only an optional addition in Germany. A US study found that the use of this pronoun positively influences attitudes towards LGBTQI* in general and trans* people in particular.