One in two Swedes forgets their ID card
2023-12-22
New Sifo-survey shows that almost half of all young people have had to change their plans due to forgotten ID cards.
We are getting closer to the biggest holidays of the year, especially for many young people living away from home, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, many face a challenge of forgetting their wallet and having to turn back to get their ID card. A new Sifo-survey made by Verian, on behalf of BankID, reveals that nearly half of all young Swedes have had to change their plans because they have forgotten their ID card.
Extra challenging for those returning home
Forgetting your ID can quickly give a fun evening a very dull start. For young adults, especially those under 30, this becomes extra meaningfull as almost half a million Swedes in this age group moved last year, according to SCB. This makes “coming home” events (hemvändarkvällar) and reunions with friends extra special and important. The Sifo survey shows that the two most common occasions when 18- to 29-year-olds are stopped due to a forgotten ID card are when buying alcohol or at bars and nightclubs (23 and 14 percent). Looking at all the situations where an ID card is required - picking up packages, getting prescripted medicine at the pharmacy or buying energy drinks - half of the age group has had to turn back home (48 percent).
- Finding yourself in a situation where you have to turn back to get your ID card is something many have experienced. It's interesting to see how extensive it actually is, given how much we rely on digital solutions in our daily lives. It shows the crucial role a ID card play in different social situations, and that's one of the reasons why we at BankID have developed our solution. Our digital ID card is secure and could help address these common issues, making everyday life a bit smoother for everyone," says Petter Dahl, digital ID expert at BankID.
Creates unnessesary irritation
One-third of Swedes state that they don’t carry their physical ID card with them daily, which can create problems when they need to identify themselves. For instance when visiting a pharmacy, picking up packages, or buying alcohol. Among those who say they had forgotten their ID card at some point, the majority experienced significant irritation (61 percent) when not being able to do what they had planned.
- It’s very clear from the survey that many people don’t carry their ID cards with them daily, leading to issues when identifying themselves. This results in unnecessary annoyance when your plans are disrupted and you can't pick up your prescription at the pharmacy, for example. Since we launched our digital ID card, over a million people have activated it, clearly indicating the growing need for secure and convenient digital alternatives to make everyday life easier, Petter continues.
Read more about the digital ID card
Press release: 1 million has activated a digital ID card
