Sweden’s Policy for Guaranteeing Service Provision Based on the Example of Jämtland
The northern Swedish Jämtland county is among the most sparsely populated regions in Europe. Due to its rural/peripheral character and a dispersive settlement structure, it is particularly called upon to maintain adequate service provision. An empirical study analysed the provisions of services of general interest for children and elderly persons and adult education in the Country of Jämtland to discover how the various types of services of general interest are organised in this area, what effect the demographic change has on the provision of these services and whether any adjustment processes can be observed. It became apparent that the local players have a clear awareness of the problems related to the demographic change, although to date one cannot speak of explicit adjustment processes.
