Quick facts about Sweden
Area: 174,000 sq mi (450,000 km²), the third largest country in Western Europe
Longest north-south distance: 978 mi (1,574 km)
Longest east-west distance: 310 mi (499 km)
Capital: Stockholm
Population: 9.5 million inhabitants
Languages: Swedish; recognized minority languages: Sami (Lapp), Finnish, Meänkieli (Tornedalen Finnish), Yiddish, Romani Chib
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy
Parliament: The Riksdag, with 349 members in one chamber
Religion: In practice, Sweden is very secularized. The Church of Sweden is Evangelical Lutheran; co-exists with many other beliefs
Life expectancy: Men 79 years, women 83 years
Swedish society
Sweden remains one of the most egalitarian countries in terms of income distribution, and has one of the world’s lowest levels of poverty. It’s no surprise that Sweden consistently appears near the top of the Human Development Index, which ranks countries according to life expectancy, education and standard of living. While Swedes pay high taxes to maintain their prized social welfare system, they are no longer the highest-taxed people in the world.
Sweden has succeeded in creating a balance between social equality and economic success. Education is free (except for nursery schools and higher education, which are partly funded by the government), healthcare is cheap, childcare is universal and the streets are clean — but there is still the opportunity to control your own economic destiny.
The driving forces behind “the Swedish model” were the Social Democratic Party and the trade unions, although it has its roots in the 19th century when “poor relief laws” were passed. The Swedish model is still alive, if not as all-encompassing as it once was. There is greater privatization in the healthcare sector and the number of private schools is growing rapidly. But not even parties on the right of the political spectrum talk of dismantling the welfare state, as Sweden’s voters would simply not stand for it.
Society:
Openness and transparency — vital parts of Swedish democracy
Sweden is a free and open society. Its people have the right to take part in demonstrations, freedom of speech, a free press, the opportunity to move freely in nature and the right to scrutinize those in power. Openness is also about creating an equal society.
The Swedish constitution is governed by four fundamental laws: the Instrument of Government, the Freedom of the Press Act, the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression, and the Act of Succession. These take precedence over all other laws. The constitution states that all citizens have the right to freely seek information, organize demonstrations, form political parties and practice their religion.
Freedom of the press
In 1766, Sweden became the first country in the world to permit freedom of the press. Freedom of the press is based on freedom of expression and speech — a central tenet of most democracies. Those in authority must be held accountable and all information must be freely available. The identities of sources who provide publishers, editors or news agencies with information are protected, and journalists can never be forced to reveal their sources. The law on freedom of expression was passed in 1991 to expand this protection to non-print media, such as television, film and radio. The law seeks to ensure a free exchange of views, information and artistic creativity.
However, the right to express an opinion also brings with it responsibility. Freedom of speech, when abused, can be offensive, incite discrimination or violence, or have negative consequences for an individual or society. If a crime against the freedom of press or expression laws is suspected, the case is dealt with by the Office of the Chancellor of Justice, a non-political civil servant appointed by the government.
Public scrutiny
The principle of freedom of information means that the general public and the mass media have access to official records. This affords Swedish citizens clear insight into the activities of government and local authorities. Scrutiny is seen as valuable for a democracy, and transparency reduces the risk of power being abused. Access to official records also means that civil servants and others who work for the government are free to inform the media or outsiders.
However, documents can be kept secret if they involve matters of national security; Sweden’s relationship with another country or international organization; national fiscal, monetary or currency policy; inspection, control and other supervisory operations by public authorities; the prevention or prosecution of crimes; the economic interests of the general public; protection of the personal and financial position of private individuals; and the protection of animal or plant species.
Everyone is equal
In Sweden, human rights are protected primarily through three of the fundamental laws: the Instrument of Government, the Freedom of the Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression. Public power should be exercised with respect for the equality of everyone and for the freedom and dignity of the individual. Public authorities should especially safeguard the right to work, housing and education, and should promote social welfare, security and a good environment for people to live in. Laws and other regulations may not lead to any citizen being disadvantaged because they belong to a minority, in terms of race, skin color, ethnic origin or sex.
Continuing the fight for human rights
Human rights are being integrated into all areas of Swedish foreign policy: security, development, migration, environmental and trade policy.
The European Convention on Human Rights has been incorporated into Swedish law since 1995. Sweden has also signed and ratified several human rights agreements within the UN, International Labor Organization and the Council of Europe. The government is prioritizing eight areas in its work for human rights in Swedish foreign policy:
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Democracy building. Millions of people still live in dictatorships. The government wants to strengthen public opinion in favor of democracy, support the work of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and establish better ties with democratic states.
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Strengthen freedom of expression. Sweden believes freedom of expression is a moral necessity and a practical tool in the fight for human rights.
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Abolish the death penalty. Sweden and the EU have long sought the abolition of the death penalty on the grounds that it is incompatible with human rights.
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Combat torture. The Swedish government draws attention to such abuse wherever it occurs and supports organizations that help victims of torture.
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Combat summary executions and arbitrary detention. For many years Sweden has supported a UN resolution concerning summary, extrajudicial and arbitrary executions, and will continue to act to bring this issue to international attention.
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Protect the rule of law. Sweden promotes the principles of the rule of law through organizations such as the UN, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and in talks with other countries.
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Protect human rights and international humanitarian law.
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Fight discrimination. In many countries, large groups of people receive far from equal treatment. The Swedish government wants to direct special attention to the rights of women, children and people with disabilities.
Openness on the internet
Sweden has the highest level of internet usage within the European Union. Out of a population of 9.4 million, more than 85 percent have access to an internet connection.
More than 97 percent of people aged 12—44 use the internet on a regular basis. Sweden has the top ranking in the UN ICT development index as well as the World Economic Forum’s Network Readiness Index.
Copyright and innovation
The growth of the internet has brought the world file-sharing, leading to debates about the infringement of copyright on books, music, films and software. The loud conflicts about piracy some years ago seem to have calmed down, partly because of the introduction of successful products and companies that offer legal alternatives for music and video streaming.
Social media in Sweden
Social media have become an integrated part of many Swedes’ everyday lives. Sweden has around 100,000 Twitter users and more than 3 million active Facebook users. Many Swedes are also active bloggers.
Open aid
In an effort to create further trust for government aid and humanitarian activities, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs together with Sida (the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) launched a website in 2011. The site collates official government data so it can be accessed and studied easily by individuals, NGOs, aid recipients and officials. The aim is to further transparency and openness in humanitarian efforts and to inspire other institutions to increase their transparency and openness towards the public. This openaid.se initiative is part of a larger movement where Swedish government agencies provide more open interfaces to their data, strengthening openness and transparency in general.
