DeSO (Demografiska statistikområden — Demographic Statistics Areas) is Statistics Sweden's (SCB) division of Sweden into approximately 6,000 small areas with 700–2,700 inhabitants each. The classification replaced the older SAMS areas in 2018 and is designed to remain stable over time to enable comparisons.
Why does Skolkoll use DeSO?
Skolkoll links each school's address to a DeSO area. By then retrieving SCB's statistics for that area — education level, average income, foreign background — we can perform socioeconomic analyses at a local level. This provides a finer picture than municipal data, since a municipality can contain areas with vastly different socioeconomic profiles.
What does DeSO data contain?
SCB publishes a range of variables per DeSO area:
- Population size and age distribution
- Education level (proportion with post-secondary education)
- Average income and median salary
- Proportion with foreign background
- Housing types (rental, tenant-owned, detached house)
DeSO and SALSA
DeSO data complement the SALSA model. While SALSA adjusts for students' backgrounds at the school level, DeSO data provide insight into the local neighbourhood's socioeconomic profile. Together, they offer a richer picture of the conditions a school operates under.
Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB).