As we recently hired a new Intern from Sweden, we thought it would be a great opportunity to learn more about Sweden. In this blog post, Frida will tell some interesting facts about Sweden.
Gender Equality
Sweden has put a lot of effort into promoting gender equality over the years and is considered to be one of the countries with highest gender equality. Here are some reasons why.
- Sweden has 3 months of paternal leave, which is reserved for the dad - Today, men nearly take a quarter of all parental leave in Sweden.
- Sweden has one of the worlds highest representation of women in the parliament.
- The pay gap between men and women exists, but is relatively small - In the Global Gender Gap Report for 2017, Sweden was ranked fifth in the world.
Environment
- More than half of Sweden's national energy supply comes from renewables.
- Sweden focus on innovative sustainable solutions - Expenditure on R&D (Research and Development) represented 3.3% of GDP in 2013, the fourth highest percentage in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
- 99% of all household ways in Sweden are recycled in different ways.
Social Benefits and Work-Life Balance
In Sweden, many social benefits are offered. However, everything has a price, Swedes pay a lot of taxes. Here are some of the social benefits that are offered.
- School is free for children of age 6 to 19, including free lunches.
- University is free for students from the EU.
- Free healthcare - The healthcare system is mainly funded by the government.
- Sweden has 5 weeks of paid vacation every year - Vacation is viewed as a worker's right.
- Parents are offered 480 days of paid parental leave - Including job security when you return back to work.