SWEDEN - Medical Device Industry and Demographic Data

Shown below you will find some basic demographic and economic data, plus information specific to the medical device and healthcare industry.

Capital city: Stockholm

Total area: 450000 km²

Population:9.0 million

Currency: Swedish krona

Language: Swedish

Structure of population:
0-14 years: 15.7%
15-64 years: 65.5%
65 years and over: 18.8% (2009 est.)

Healthcare expenditure: $3289 per capita (at int. $ rate, 2007 data)

Number of hospitals: 73 (2008)

Healthcare financing: Most county councils use some form of purchaser-provider system. The county councils' purchasing organizations negotiate with hospital health care providers and establish financial and activity contracts. These contracts are often based on DRG and complemented with price or volume ceilings and quality components. Prices are determined by historical costs and negotiations between purchasers and providers. The use of DRG and other classification systems, however, varies among regions and county councils. Per-case reimbursements for outliers, such as complicated cases that grossly exceed the average cost per case, may be complemented by per-diem payments. Physicians are salaried employees.

Medical device industry: Medical device imports increased by 25.8% in 2006, amounting to US$1.7 billion. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in the period 2002-2006 was 13.2%. The largest import was in orthopedic products, accounting for 33.7% of total imports in 2006. Opportunity: There is an eagerness to be at the forefront of technological development; the purchase of new equipment reflects this.