The link between a person’s position in the social structure and their health has been recognised throughout history, with those belonging to more advantaged groups tending to have better health than the other members of their societies. These inequalities have persisted despite major improvements in medical science, technological development, considerable demographic changes, and substantial efforts to create more equitable public-health systems, governments and states.1 They are also found in every society, at least for some (if not most) diseases and demographic groupings, even wealthy societies such as Sweden.

This book presents new empirical evidence on the links between social and economic policies of the Swedish welfare state and several health outcomes for the Swedish population. Almost certainly to the …