Circumcision is not common in Sweden, with an estimated prevalence rate of around 5.1% of the male population. It is not part of native Swedish culture or religious heritage, and routine neonatal circumcision is generally not medically justified by Swedish health authorities.
Like all Christian European nations, Sweden does not practice male circumcision. Muslim and Jewish immigrants, however, have brought their circumcision practices into Sweden. This clash of cultures has created tension and conflict between Swedish human rights principles and the blood rites of foreign religions.
Philippines has a 91.7% circumcision prevalence, with such a high prevalence outside the Muslim world and Israel being found only among some countries in Africa and some island countries in Oceania.
The Circumcision of Boys Act (2001:499) states that boys may only be circumcised by a qualified medical practitioner or by a person who has been specially licensed by the National Swedish Board of Health and Welfare.
Overall, it is estimated that approximately 3–5% of the male population in Europe is circumcised, though this rate is notably higher within specific communities. For example, in the United Kingdom, around 20.7% of males are circumcised, with particularly high rates among Muslim and Jewish populations [4].
In Japan, routine male circumcision has never been implemented for newborns and children, and adult males are mostly circumcised at aesthetic clinics. However, media reports indicate a trend of Japanese mothers willing to have their sons circumcised.
The NHS refused to fund the procedure due to beliefs that it had no medical benefit in the majority of cases. Findings from a survey carried out in 2000 showed that between 10-20% of British males reported being circumcised.
The six-month rule means that income from working abroad is tax-free in Sweden. It does not matter whether the salary is paid in Sweden or abroad. If the employee has a decision from the Swedish Tax Agency stating that they are covered by the six-month rule, you as an employer do not have to make tax deductions.
Interpretation: An estimated 672 boys are born to Muslim parents in Norway each year. Less than 50% of newborns with Muslim parents are circumcised in local outpatient departments.
The CDC researchers estimated total circumcision prevalence to be 80.5% (Table 1). Racial differences were apparent: Prevalence was 90.8% in non-Hispanic white, 75.7% in non-Hispanic black, and 44.0% in Mexican American males.
Australia has seen a decrease in circumcision rates over the last 70 years or so. Back in the 1950s, roughly 80 per cent of Australian men and boys were circumcised. That rate has steadily decreased and now, around 20 per cent of Australian newborns are circumcised.
First, we observed an average rate of 47.8±13.4 circumcisions/100 thousands men yearly. In a 27-year period, 1.2% of men in Brazil had to be circumcised for medical reasons.
In addition to personal, cultural, and religious aspects associated with the decision, you may have medical questions as well. Circumcision can be done at any age. Traditionally, the most common time to do it is soon after your baby is born, or within the first month of life.
Before circumcision, the foreskin covers the tip of the penis (glans). After circumcision, the tip of the penis is exposed.
The only exception would have been the 4% who were Muslim and 2% Jewish who had religious circumcisions. In all, 89% of the circumcised men were Lutheran or not religious, i.e. were typical of a traditional Danish population.
Among our patients, when asked about pain during circumcision performed under local anesthesia on a scale 1-10 with 1 being no pain, and 10 being the worst pain of your life, more than 90% of patients rate pain as 2-3. Most patients do not take prescribed pain medications or any other pain medications.
About 80 percent of the world's population do not practice circumcision, nor have they ever done so. Among the non-circumcising nations are Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, the U.S.S.R. , China, and Japan.
Penile circumcision is legal in Sweden but can only be carried out by people with a special certificate. Nationellt centrum mot hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck (the National Centre Against Honour-related Violence and Oppression) has a brochure about genital mutilation of girls and women.
The legal age for sexual activities in Norway is 16, i.e. a child under 16 years of age cannot legally consent to having sexual relations with others.
This rule is part of the legislation on special income tax for non-residents (“SINK”). A person living abroad is exempt from paying income tax in Sweden if all of the following conditions are met: The person spends no more than 183 days in Sweden during a 12-month period. Compensation is paid by a non-Swedish employer.
Sweden's "five-year rule" generally refers to the standard time needed for non-EU/EEA citizens to qualify for a permanent residence permit or long-term resident status (granting EU mobility rights) after living in Sweden with a valid permit, or for applying for citizenship, though stricter rules (8 years, tests) are proposed for June 2026. It signifies a milestone for integration, offering increased rights and pathways to citizenship or further EU movement, but requires meeting financial, conduct, and continuous residence criteria.
The age of sexual majority in Sweden is 15 years. This means that it is at that age that you can have sex. Under Swedish law, a person who has reached the age of 15 cannot have sex with anyone under the age of 15. This law aims to protect children under the age of 15 from sexual exploitation by older people.
However, a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals that neonatal male circumcision (NMC) rates in the United States declined nearly 5% in the 10 years following the American Academy of Pediatrics statement in favor of the practice.
There are no systematic reports of accurate prevalence of circumcision in Latin America, but isolated reports from selected groups from Latin American and the Caribbean ranging from 5% in Dominican Republic and Haiti to 11% (Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia), and 38% in Mexico.
Nationals from non-European countries (mainly America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) were more likely to be circumcised than Scottish men (50.0% and 13.1%, respectively, p<0.001). HIV prevalence was comparable among uncircumcised and circumcised men (4.6% and 4.2%, respectively; table 1).