JU researchers behind groundbreaking report: large ownership gaps in rainbow colours
Anna Nordén, JIBS, and Erwan Dujeancourt, SU, present the report at Stockholm Pride on 30 July.
Gay men own three times more than gay women. Gay women own the least, despite earning more than their heterosexual sisters. This is shown in a report by researchers including Anna Nordén, Assistant Professor in Economics at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) at Jönköping University (JU).
During Stockholm Pride, the Ownershift report Who owns in the name of love? will be presented, revealing ownership gaps between heterosexual and homosexual Swedes. The report was written by researchers Anna Nordén at JIBS, Erwan Dujeancourt, who completed his doctorate at JU, and Anne Boschini at Stockholm University (SU).
Using register data from over 9,000 siblings, the study shows that homosexual women own the least – despite having higher average incomes than heterosexual women. Homosexual men, on the other hand, have on average more financial assets than heterosexual men.
“Economic inequality in Sweden has taken on a new dimension. This study shows that sexual orientation also plays a role in who gains the power, security and freedom that ownership brings,” says Anna Nordén, Assistant Professor in Economics at JIBS and Research Director at Ownershift.
Three key insights from the report:
- Women own less than men – regardless of sexual orientation. Men own an average of SEK 250,000 more than women.
- Lesbian women own the least of all – despite having higher incomes than heterosexual women. Lesbian women own on average SEK 270,000 less than gay men.
- Gay men own the most of all – especially in financial assets.
- The largest heterosexual-homosexual wealth gap is at the top. The richest homosexual men have on average just over SEK 255,000 more than heterosexual men. Among the richest women, the difference is on average just under SEK 20,000.
The report is based on data from the Swedish Wealth Register and Statistics Sweden's LISA database, with comparisons between siblings to isolate the effect of sexual orientation on financial ownership.
The study was published in 2024 in Socio-Economic Review
External link, opens in new window.. Dujeancourt, E., Boschini, A., & Nordén, A. (2024). Wealth, gender and sexual orientation – evidence from siblings.
Download the report here in Swedish External link, opens in new window. or English External link, opens in new window.
About Ownershift:
Ownershift is a non-partisan think tank working to significantly increase women's ownership during our lifetime. Increased ownership among women leads to women having more power over their own life decisions, while also making society more equal. Diversity among owners means diversity in decision-making power, which leads to better societies for everyone.
