Housing drops down the political agenda and only 1 in 10 understands the parties' policies
3 September 2026
Despite the housing shortage directly affecting people's life choices and ability to move, the issue has fallen into the shadow of the political debate.
A new survey from Hemnet shows that the proportion of people who view the housing shortage as an important issue has dropped sharply since 2014. At the same time, only 1 in 10 believes that the political parties are clear about what they want to do about the situation.
Ahead of the 2014 election, 64 percent of Hemnet's visitors stated that the housing shortage was an important election issue. In this year's survey, that figure has dropped to 41 percent. Meanwhile, more than half (53 percent) state that the parties' housing policy is unclear, while only 11 percent consider it clear. A total of 36 percent lack an opinion on the matter and answer "don't know".
There is also great uncertainty regarding what actually separates the parties' options. A full 42 percent currently answer "don't know" to the question of how large the differences are between the parties' housing policies, an increase from 27 percent in 2014. Only 29 percent feel that there are major differences between the parties' proposals, while 30 percent consider the differences to be small or non-existent.
"The housing issue has been pushed off the agenda, but the problems remain. Today, housing policy is often treated as a technical or macroeconomic issue, when at its core it is about people's security, freedom, and the opportunity to take the next step in life. When only 1 in 10 thinks that the parties' policies are clear, there is a large educational gap to fill," says Staffan Tell, spokesperson at Hemnet.
Comparison: Views on housing policy
| Question / category | 2014 Survey | 2026 Survey |
| Consider the housing shortage an important issue | 64% | 41% |
| Perceive the parties' policies as unclear | 60% | 53% |
| Perceive the parties' policies as clear | 20% | 11% |
| "Don't know" regarding policy clarity | 20% | 36% |
| "Don't know" regarding differences between parties | 27% | 42% |
Facts about the survey
The survey was conducted as an online questionnaire on Hemnet between August 19 and 24, 2026, with 1,686 participants.
For more information, please contact:
Press enquiries
Staffan Tell, Head of PR
M: +46 733 67 66 85
E: [email protected]
About Hemnet
Hemnet operates the leading property platform in Sweden. The company emerged as an industry initiative in 1998 and has since transformed into a “win-win” value proposition for the housing market. By offering a unique combination of relevant products, insights and inspiration, Hemnet has built lasting relationships with buyers, sellers, and agents for more than 25 years. Hemnet shares a mutual passion for homes with its stakeholders and is driven by being an independent go-to-place for people to turn to for the various housing needs that arise through life. This is mirrored in the company’s vision to be the key to your property journey, supplying products and services to improve efficiency, transparency and mobility on the housing market. Hemnet is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (“HEM”).
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