Hans Grönqvist developed an early interest in how children’s future opportunities are influenced by the type of residential area they grow up in. Over the years, he has conducted several studies on the subject, including a report published by the Center for Business and Policy Studies (SNS) in 2023. In the report, he and fellow researchers Susan Niknami from Stockholm University and Torsten Santavirta from Uppsala University map how disadvantaged areas in Sweden differ from other residential areas in terms of employment rates, income levels, the proportion of foreign-born residents, and the proportion of young people.
Tracking children from birth
Hans Grönqvist
Professor of economics
Hans Grönqvist’s research focuses on analysing various social issues to inform the design of more effective government policies. He is the research director of the interdisciplinary collaboration Swedish Criminal Justice Policy Action Lab and the national coordinator for research funding granted by the Swedish Research Council in the field of crime studies.
FUNDS AWARDED SINCE 2021
SEK 26 million Funders: the Swedish Research Council, the Lundberg Foundations
– In Sweden, we have access to extensive, register-based data that allows us to link families and track children from birth, which is absolutely unique. We can see what areas they grow up in, follow them through their school years and all the way into adulthood – and it’s clear that the neighbourhood plays a significant role in children’s life chances. Growing up in a poor or segregated area makes it harder not only to succeed in school, but also to some extent later on, in the labour market.
In areas identified by the police as disadvantaged, socio-economic conditions are often significantly worse. A higher proportion of the population is unemployed, incomes are lower, and more people rely on social welfare support.
The situation has not worsened
However, Hans disagrees with the widespread notion that conditions in disadvantaged areas have deteriorated.
– An important conclusion from the study is that the differences in conditions between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged areas have remained more or less constant, he observes.
In 2023, the Swedish Criminal Justice Policy Action Lab (SCAL) was launched as an interdisciplinary collaboration between Linnaeus University and Stockholm University. The project has been granted 17.7 million kronor by the Swedish Research Council. Here, Hans is using his cutting-edge expertise to evaluate criminal justice policy reforms alongside some of Sweden’s most prominent crime researchers.
– There isn’t really any tradition of this type of research in Sweden”, he explains. “That’s obviously problematic, but also quite surprising given the register-based data that is available.
Electronic tags exceptionally cost-effective
International coordinator
Over the years, Hans Grönqvist has worked as a visiting researcher at universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and University College London.
These are exchanges that have not only provided valuable insights but also an extensive international network – something that he continues to benefit from greatly.
– Conducting research abroad as a visiting scholar is incredibly inspiring, but it’s also great to see that Swedish research can absolutely hold its own against that of the top universities. This autumn, we’re hosting an international conference for leading crime researchers, and I hope it’ll help us attract more international scholars and pave the way for future collaborations.
One of the reforms evaluated is the electronic tag, introduced in the 1990s to ease the strain on Swedish prisons. Until now, its cost-effectiveness has been assessed based on savings compared to the cost of a prison place, but the impact has proven to be far greater than that.
– Electronic tagging appears to be an exceptionally cost-effective investment for society. It not only reduces the risk of reoffending but also improves opportunities in the labour market and increases annual income for the individual. So, the cost savings are many times greater than previously thought, Hans observes.
What works and what doesn’t?
The political debate around criminal justice policy is rife with polarising opinions. One example is the issue of harsher penalties: some argue they are effective in preventing crime, while others claim the opposite. With a thorough evaluation of the reforms, we will now, for the first time, have clear evidence of what actually works.
– Politicians often have a tendency to believe in their own policies. Many of these reforms cost billions, but evaluating policies often takes a long time, and with short terms of office, there’s rarely time set aside for such evaluations. From a societal perspective, this is hugely problematic – a significant waste of resources that could’ve been put to better use elsewhere.