Américo Fernández believes the fact that a majority of Swedes, 60 percent, have low expectations of the reduced food VAT is fundamentally a healthy attitude.
It doesn't give me any major cause for concern, but I think it's a healthy view, that is, a majority does not believe this will be fully reflected in food prices, he says.
Unchanged shopping habits
According to the survey conducted by the analysis company Demoskop on behalf of SEB, nine out of ten people say they do not plan to change their purchasing behavior due to the reduction.
The Swedes' view of the economy is slightly negative, but Fernández points out that there are several factors that explain the attitude regarding food prices.
It's a combination of things. The world situation is chaotic, and I think many people think back to the invasion of Ukraine, how we saw food prices rise because of changes in energy prices.
Small margins
There is general skepticism that the food giants will de facto lower prices all the way. Then there are other things that weigh more heavily on people's wallets than food, says Américo Fernández.
In the survey, 5 percent say they will buy more food after the VAT reduction is introduced. The VAT rate is reduced from 12 to 6 percent and will apply from April 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027.
Just over 2,000 people took part in Demoskop's survey, which was conducted between February 25 and March 18, 2026.
