Regional Development in Sweden after 1990

Purpose of this paper is to study if and how are changing regional pattern and regional disparities in last decades in Sweden, one of the most homogeneous country in the world. Globalization and intensified competitiveness which affect not only companies and economic sectors, but also states and regions contribute to a changing pattern. Even a traditionally homogeneous and egalitarian Sweden is changing. Paper examines regional development in Sweden by social-economic indicators and basic statistic and indicates wider connection of this development. Basic hypothesis is that crisis and intensified competitiveness contribute to a deepening of regional disparities. In last twenty years regional disparities are growing indeed and they are probably related to a recession, but dominant factors cannot be pointed out with certainty. Increase of regional variability is related to just some social and economic aspect. In many aspects Sweden remains the most homogenous country in Europe. The paper is focused on county level. Key words: regional development, regional disparities, Sweden, globalization, crisi