9 Interesting facts about Sweden

Sweden is one of the most developed European countries, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its peculiarities and traditions that make it a unique place. For example, the people there are very respectful of the tax system and love paying taxes; Swedes are not proud of their natural hair color and children, when they are born, are only given their mother’s surname.

If you only think of truck manufacturers Scania or Volvo when you think of Sweden, you will be surprised at what comes next.

Check out some of the most unusual data about this country and take the opportunity to decide whether or not it is worth moving there.

Whether at birth or adoption, parents are entitled to take up to 480 days off. This period can be divided into parts. Of this total, 60 days are reserved for the father. However, women are entitled to a greater number of days: according to 2012 data, men use only 24% of the amount established. Despite this, it is possible to see more and more parents walking with baby strollers across the country.

The official language of Sweden is Swedish. But informally, the language is divided into a simple and a complex. In general, a large portion of the population no longer uses complex language, which includes ‘difficult’ words, and some people do not even understand it. To appear more erudite, a person may occasionally use complex verb constructions in his speech.

Sweden is the European country with the highest number of McDonald’s. Swedes are not very fond of preparing food at home and prefer to organize lunches and dinners in fast food restaurants. One of the most popular dishes is pizza kebab. One of the most traditional is fried herring, sold on the street, but it is not as fashionable as it used to be.

The average tax rate varies from 29% to 35% depending on the location. The highest income tax recorded was in 2012, and it was 56.6%. Despite the high value, the Swedes are super punctual when it comes to paying taxes. It is not for nothing that the word skateboard, which refers to the tax, is translated as ‘treasure’. Swedes don’t pass up the opportunity to show others how much they paid in tax the previous year. In addition, the declaration is made with just one click on a special website. But it is worth remembering that, although the tax burden is extremely high, public services, such as those related to education, health and safety, are of excellent quality.

In 1959, Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin produced 3 tons of seat belts. Apparently, this invention has already saved over 1 million lives and is considered one of the most important safety devices in the world. The echocardiogram was invented by the Swedish doctor Inge Edler together with the German Heinrich Rudolf Hertz. Tetra Pak packaging for juices and milk was invented in 1946 by Erik Wallenberg, but it was the Swede Ruben Rausing who made the invention reach common life. The zipper was invented in 1917 by the Swedish-American Gideon Sundbäck. The Coca-Cola bottle design was created by Swede Alexander Samuelson. The clothing brand H&M, known for its affordable prices, was invented in 1947 by businessman Erling Persson. The pacemaker, the Mousematches, IKEA furniture and baby car seats are also Swedish inventions.

The average life expectancy in the country is one of the highest in Europe. Today, she is 79 years old for men and 83.5 years old for women. In recent years, mortality from cardiovascular disease, especially in older people, has greatly decreased. In addition, Swedes lead a very relaxed lifestyle.

Since 1986, children have been given their mother’s surname and not their father’s. Parents always have 3 months to think about what the child’s name will be. Many Swedes give children 3 names and 2 surnames, but the father’s is always an optional second surname.

Unlike many other countries, Swedes do not enter university right after school. Often, first they work, live alone, travel and then, around 25 years old, they decide what they are going to study. Therefore, they continue to study until they are more or less 30 years old or more. Education is free and students often receive scholarships.

While in many other countries women want to be blonde, Swedish women do just the opposite. They often dye their blonde (and natural) hair black or some other darker-than-natural color, usually one that is in fashion.