Most Swedes have good sun habits when on holiday abroad, but a new survey from Apollo shows that almost one in five rarely or never use sunscreen. Men are significantly worse than women at protecting themselves from the sun.

According to the survey, 82 percent of Swedes report applying sunscreen multiple times a day during their holiday travels. Almost half say they use sunscreen once or twice daily, while 17 percent reapply protection three to four times a day.

"When over eight out of ten say they apply lotion several times a day during overseas holidays, it indicates that sun protection has a natural place in many people's holiday routines. We are happy about that," says Martina Krantz, press officer at Apollo.

Clear difference between women and men

The survey also shows that men are falling behind when it comes to sun protection. Among women, 14 per cent state that they rarely or never use sunscreen on holiday, while the corresponding figure among men is 22 per cent. Furthermore, almost half of men are content with applying it once or twice a day.

Helena Torsler Andersson, a registered nurse and expert in oncology at the Cancer Society, stresses the importance of protecting the skin.

– Skin cancer is the most rapidly increasing form of cancer, and it is slightly more common for men to be affected. Shade and protective clothing are the best protection against the sun. Sunscreen should be seen as a supplement where clothing and shade are not sufficient, not as a way to spend longer in the sun, she says.

She also reminds us that sunscreen needs to be applied generously and reapplied several times throughout the day to offer effective protection.

Norwegians better at sun protection

Compared to neighbouring Norway, Swedes still have a way to go. While 88.4 per cent of Norwegians report that they apply sunscreen several times a day during foreign holidays, the corresponding figure among Swedes is 82 per cent.

At the same time, almost 18 percent of Swedes say they seldom or never use sunscreen, compared to 11 percent of Norwegians.

– We usually like to compare ourselves to the Norwegians in most things. When it comes to sun cream, it looks like they have a slight lead, says Martina Krantz.

The survey was conducted by Inqvita on behalf of Apollo in January 2026 and included just over 1,000 Swedes aged 18–70 years.