Model photo: Lieselotte van der Meijs / imagebank.sweden.se
Closing remarks: Strategic conclusions and opportunities for Nordic co-operation
The report is an integrated knowledge base on children growing up in households with a persistently low income in the Nordic region. Although the overall at-risk-of-poverty rate remains below the EU average, the analysis reveals significant national and regional disparities, identifying households at elevated risk, including single-parent families, households with three or more children, those with very weak attachment to the labour market, low parental education and a foreign-born background. The findings are based on harmonised Eurostat data (2003–2023) and are supplemented by indicators of material and social deprivation, work intensity, and parental education. Statistical uncertainty and data gaps are made transparent.
The report combines comparative indicators, peer‑reviewed research, documented Nordic practices, and children’s perspectives. Across topics, the knowledge base ranges from comparatively extensive syntheses to smaller but growing bodies of studies. The report reflects this diversity instead of focusing on ranking fields by formal evidence levels.
Research is particularly comprehensive within early childhood education and care (ECEC), especially regarding how high‑quality pedagogical practices support children’s interactions, development, and learning.
Research also highlights several approaches with positive but implementation‑dependent results – including whole‑school models that combine learning and well‑being, sustained family support and coordination, low‑threshold leisure participation, and area‑based collaboration. Their effects depend on duration, fidelity, local capacity, and coherent implementation.
The following proposals build on the analytical and empirical foundation presented in this report. They are intended as knowledge‑based options that can support national policy development within existing legal and institutional frameworks.
Areas that may be considered for joint Nordic follow-up
1. Strengthen children’s voices in politics and services
The findings presented in Chapter 4 offer insights into how children’s experiences of living in a low-income household can influence their participation, sense of belonging, and ability to influence their everyday lives. In line with the Nordic vision 2030, which emphasises inclusion, participation, and social sustainability across the Nordic region, it may be beneficial for the countries to consider developing shared, practical approaches to embedding children’s voices in the design, delivery, and evaluation of relevant policies and services. The aim would be to support participation methods that are age-appropriate, accessible, and sensitive to the needs of vulnerable groups, thereby strengthening opportunities for children across the region.
2. Establish common Nordic indicators for comparability
Building on the existing Nordic Statistics Database (e.g., on the modules of Children & young people and Social integration & income), it could be beneficial for the Nordic countries to establish a common indicator framework using comparable, Eurostat-based indicators such as AROP 60/50 (reported before and after social transfers), household work intensity, parental education, and material and social deprivation, disaggregated by household type and region, to support comparable analysis across countries. Where legally and technically feasible, the countries could develop supplementary harmonised indicators and explore register-based solutions to improve precision over time and address gaps not yet covered by the current dashboards.
3. Develop common guidelines for inclusive, universal services
Shared guidance should be developed on quality-focused ECEC, whole-school approaches, low-threshold leisure participation, and area-based collaboration, paying explicit attention to implementation quality (leadership, workforce competence, and relational continuity). These options reflect the evidence and practical insights reviewed in Chapters 1–3 and the perspectives of children and young people in Chapter 4.
4. Test and scale targeted universalism through pilot projects
Prior to wider implementation, conduct time-bound pilots that vary the intensity of universal programmes according to need. These pilots should include logic models, fidelity checks, suitable comparators/counterfactuals, a minimum duration, and an independent evaluation with harmonised indicators.
5. Introduce rapid measures against economic shocks for families with children
Shock-responsive mechanisms. Consider measures that can provide households with children with rapid protection against sudden cost-of-living increases, alongside long-term investment in infrastructure for mobility and inclusion, such as ECEC quality, educational transitions, accessible leisure, and relational support teams.
6. Shared Nordic evidence to support national priorities
The proposed options are grounded in the report’s analytical foundation, which includes comparative indicators, research reviews, documented Nordic practices, and children’s own perspectives. They are presented as knowledge-based policy options to support the development of national measures aligned with each country’s priorities and legal frameworks. The proposals also reflect the Nordic ambition for social sustainability under Vision 2030, where cooperation adds value through comparable data, shared learning, and coordinated Nordic strategies.