Carlsson was born in Borås, Västra Götaland County, Sweden and is the third son of the warehouse worker Olof Karlsson and Ida, née Johansson. Carlsson has a diploma in business economics and a degree in political science from Lund University. In Lund he met with Tage Erlander, the Swedish prime minister, and his aide Olof Palme, later to become Erlander's successor.
Political career
After finishing studies Carlsson got a job in Erlander's staff. In 1965, after completing further studies at Northwestern University in Illinois in the United States, he was elected member of the Swedish Parliament. In the same year, he also became leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League. He had the following ministerial posts: Minister of Education 1969-1973, Minister of Housing 1973-1976, Deputy Prime Minister 1982-1986. He was, together with Olof Palme, known as one of "Erlander's boys".
Prime Minister
Following the assassination of Olof Palme in 1986, Ingvar Carlsson became the new Prime Minister or Statsminister and party leader. Together with Minister for FinanceKjell-Olof Feldt, the government turned a budget deficit of 90 billion SEK to a surplus of a few hundred billion SEK, which initially led to large investments and record low unemployment. 1980s Social Democratic neoliberal measures—such as depressing and deregulating the currency to prop up Swedish exports during the economic restructuring transition, dropping corporate taxation and taxation on high income-earners, and switching from anti-unemployment policies to anti-inflationary policies—were exacerbated by international recession, unchecked currency speculation, and a centre-right government led by Carl Bildt, creating the fiscal crisis of the early 1990s. But Sweden's economy began to deteriorate in the early 1990s. In 1990 the Carlsson cabinet resigned after failing to gain a majority for its economic policy agenda, but was reinstated immediately with a slightly changed agenda. The Social Democrats lost the elections in 1991, but Carlsson returned to power after the elections in 1994. When the Social Democrats returned to power in 1994, they responded to the fiscal crisis by stabilizing the currency—and by reducing the welfare state and privatizing public services and goods, as governments did in many countries influenced by Milton Friedman, the Chicago Schools of political and economic thought, and the neoliberal movement. As Prime Minister he also carried out a comprehensive reform of the tax system. After three years in opposition and an election victory in the 1994 elections, Carlsson formed a new government. This government realigned its focus on cleaning up Swedish Government finances, and the task was assigned to the newly appointed Minister of FinanceGöran Persson. The ensuing governing period was difficult and it was strongly criticized by trade unions and party members for government service cuts and tax increases that were instituted. In August 1995, Ingvar Carlsson announced that he would resign as party leader and Swedish Prime Minister. His successor was long considered to be the then Minister of Equality and Deputy Prime Minister Mona Sahlin. However, due to the so-called Toblerone Affair, she took back her candidacy and also later resigned from the government. On 5 December 1995 the nominating committee proposed the Minister for Finance, Göran Persson, as the new party leader candidate. He was elected on 15 March 1996 at the Social Democratic Party Congress as party leader and on 22 March 1996 he was elected Prime Minister.
He is married since 1957 to librarian Ingrid Melander, daughter of the wholesaler Sven H Melander and Gerda, née Eriksson. They have two daughters. In 1989, Carlsson received an honorary doctorate from Lund University and in 1991 he received an honorary doctorate from Northwestern University. Ingvar Carlsson is a big supporter of football teams IF Elfsborg and Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C..
