Editing Göran Persson (section)

== Personal life ==
[[File:Göran persson fem år.jpg|thumb|left|Persson at 5 years old in 1954]]

Persson was born in [[Vingåker]] in [[Södermanland]], Sweden, in a working-class home. He has in recent years revealed that he wanted to become a priest as a young man;<ref>{{cite book |title=Min väg, mina val |last=Persson |first=Göran |year=2007 |publisher=Albert Bonniers förlag |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9789185555130|page=18}}</ref> however, he applied to the college in [[Örebro]] where he took courses in social science (main sociology). He completed 80 college credits (120 [[European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System|ECTS]] credits) in the subject before he left the college in 1971 without graduating. As the college later received credentials as a full university, the renamed [[Örebro University]] gave him an honorary Ph.D. in medicine in February 2005, an award that provoked some controversy.

He first married Gunnel (née Claesson) in 1978, with whom he has two daughters. They divorced in 1994. On 10 March 1994, he married [[Annika Barthine]], whom he divorced in December 2003. On 6 December 2003, Persson married [[Anitra Steen]], who became his third wife. In 2004, Persson and Steen purchased the 190-hectare agricultural property, Övre Torp, by Lake [[Båven]] in [[Södermanland]]. During 2006 the couple started the construction of a large house on the property.

Besides his native Swedish, Persson also speaks English.

He has maintained his Christian faith and is a member of [[Swedish Association of Christian Social Democrats]].

=== Health problems ===
On 8 July 2002, Persson fell while riding his bicycle at [[Harpsund]] and broke his left [[clavicle]].<ref name=ab20020710>{{cite news |first=Jessica |last=Ritzén |title=Det gjorde djävulskt ont |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article82647.ab |newspaper=[[Aftonbladet]] |date=2002-07-10 |access-date=2008-10-19 |language=sv}}</ref> Following this accident he was unable to lift his left arm for some time and almost [[Syncope (medicine)|fainted]] during a speech in [[Almedalen]] on 10 July 2002 and after a meeting with British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] on 15 July 2002.<ref name=ab20020710/><ref name=ab20020717>{{cite news |first=Johan |last=Bergqvist |title=Så här blir du frisk, Persson |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article83875.ab |newspaper=[[Aftonbladet]] |date=2002-07-17 |access-date=2008-10-19 |language=sv}}</ref> Present with him during the accident was [[Pär Nuder]], Minister for Finance, and Sten Olsson, State Secretary. Pär Nuder wrote in his book ''Stolt men inte nöjd'' ("proud but not satisfied"), released in 2008, that Persson had fallen while riding his bicycle because he was [[Drunkenness|drunk]] after consuming large amounts of alcoholic beverages.<ref>{{cite book |title=Stolt men inte nöjd |last=Nuder |first=Pär |author-link=Pär Nuder |year=2008 |publisher=Norstedts |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=978-91-1-301965-9 }}</ref> Persson said in response to these claims: "I can't exactly recapitulate the event but I can say as much that I'm surprised that Pär Nuder remembers anything".<ref>{{cite episode |title=Nyhetsmorgon |url=http://www.tv4.se/nyhetsmorgon |network=[[TV4 AB]] |station=[[TV4 (Sweden)]] |location=Stockholm |airdate=2008-10-18 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Anna |last=Krook |title=Göran Perssons "minneslucka"&nbsp;– kommer inte ihåg olyckskvällen |url=http://www.expressen.se/Nyheter/1.1338034/goran-perssons-minneslucka-kommer-inte-ihag-olyckskvallen |newspaper=[[Expressen]] |date=2008-10-18 |access-date=2008-10-19 |language=sv}}</ref>

In September 2003 Persson was diagnosed with hip [[osteoarthritis]] and surgery was recommended. He chose to go through Sweden's public health-care system instead of seeking private treatment; he was put on a waiting list, and finally received a [[hip replacement]] operation in June 2004. During that 9-month period, he walked with a limp and reportedly was on strong [[painkiller]]s; he had to cancel several official trips due to the pain he was in.<ref>[http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=060404D His Hip, Hooray!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070506222335/http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=060404D |date=2007-05-06 }} {{in lang|en}}, [[Tech Central Station|TCS Daily]], 17 July 2002.</ref>
{{unreliable source|date=January 2023}}