It's All About the Age: Tracing Inequality, Segregation, and Polarization Among Younger, Midlife, and Older Persons in Greater Gothenburg, Sweden, Over Three Decades

ABSTRACT This study analyses how residential segregation, income inequality, and neighbourhood polarization have evolved across age groups in Greater Gothenburg, Sweden, between 1987 and 2017. Using register data, the analysis combines measures of ethnic and income‐based segregation with decomposable inequality indices to examine age‐specific dynamics. The results reveal pronounced generational differences that are unnoticed in aggregate analyses. In line with earlier research, overall ethnic segregation declined over time, reflecting increased spatial dispersion of individuals with a foreign background. However, ethnic segregation remains substantially higher among younger individuals compared to midlife and older groups. Exposure‐based measures further show declining interaction between income‐rich and income‐poor individuals among younger cohorts. A further key finding is the sharp rise in income inequality among older individuals, driven by changes at the top of the income distribution, without a corresponding increase in residential segregation. In contrast, income‐based polarization among younger individuals intensified despite stable or declining overall inequality, with the share of inequality attributable to between‐neighbourhood differences rising from 5 to 19 percent over time. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of a generational perspective on inequality and segregation and suggest that policies targeting inequality alone are insufficient to address growing spatial polarization, particularly among younger populations.