Finance minister discusses ADHD diagnosis to help others

Swedish Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson has spoken publicly about her ADHD diagnosis for the first time, saying she hopes her experience can help others, particularly children and young people, SVT reports.

Speaking on TV4’s Nyhetsmorgon on Saturday, Svantesson said she knows many people are struggling and wondering how they will manage. “I am finance minister, I have the biggest portfolio any finance minister has ever had, and I have ADHD,” she said.

She stressed the importance of understanding the diagnosis, both for the person concerned and for their relatives and colleagues. “I have seen that I can work anyway. Anxiety has not stood in my way, but it has made me tired. There are periods when I just need to switch off,” she said.

The interview came in the same week that the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare published a report saying ADHD diagnoses among children and young people continue to rise. The report estimated that 116,000 children aged 10 to 17 had an ADHD diagnosis in 2025, representing 14 per cent of boys and nine per cent of girls in that age group.