It’s a well known fact that the Scandinavian countries have to deal with a lot of problems and we’ll try to outline them in this article.
Although health care and education in Scandinavia are free, there are still many problems along this line that require thinking.
Citizens of Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland pay high taxes. The Scandinavian countries are considered socialist countries and socialism does not prevent social and economic problems faced by their citizens. The Left in these countries are not satisfied with the organization of their tax system, because taxation of wealthy citizens in the Nordic countries are with higher rates compared to the same category of rich people in the United States.
The Nordic region, situated in Northern Europe, encompasses Scandinavian languages spoken by various Nordic nations. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, these northern regions witnessed the evolution of their Germanic languages and played pivotal roles in the cultural and economic development of the area. With roots tracing back to the 11th and 13th centuries, the Nordic countries surrounding the Baltic Sea have maintained their distinct identities, fostering a cultural region that extends into western Europe. Despite variations, the Nordic languages remain a significant part of the cultural fabric, and the region’s largest cities have played key roles in shaping the GDP per capita dynamics.
The European Union, marked by a capital city and the historical concept of personal union among royal families, strives for social cohesion despite diverse national languages and indigenous people. Finnish speakers and Swedish speakers contribute to the linguistic mosaic, with common characteristics observed since the 9th century. Notable figures like Edvard Grieg and references in sources like Encyclopædia Britannica showcase cultural richness amid discussions on heavy taxation and the evolution of national languages.
The Nordic people, belonging to the Finno-Ugric family, inhabit a Nordic country in Northern Europe within the broader Nordic region, alongside the Baltic countries. The largest city serves as the capital city and reflects the official language, contributing to the cultural region that extends into western Europe.
Scandinavian Countries
One of the reasons why it is considered that it is not correct for a country such as Sweden to be considered socialist, is that it actually has historically been more advanced than it is now. Because of the progressive tax rate in Sweden, it is in fourth place on the list of the richest countries in the world. In just 23 years, it fell fourteen places. Under the policy of the dominant conservative parties across the Nordic countries, they are rejecting the support of the free market and progressive politics.
However, the Swedish government has recognized the problems in the economy and in order to prevent and reanimate the Swedish economy, it has introduced several capitalist reforms. As a result of these reforms to reduce unemployment, Swedish GDP is growing steadily. Although it seems that Sweden is a less progressive country compared to the United States, unemployment in the US is as high as 45.1%. Treasure that the richest people possess in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway accounted for about 69% of the total wealth of these countries.
Despite the disparity of wealth between the US and citizens of Sweden, Swedes set aside 12.3% of their income in liabilities, Denmark 26.4%, 10% Norwegians, Finns 12.9%, while the Americans only 9.8%. This is one reason why the government debt of the Scandinavian countries is lower than the United States. A progressive tax system in Scandinavia in this way, fails to protect its citizens from personal debts.
As for the educational system, the Swedish system is ranked lower than the US. This negates the belief that socialist Scandinavian educational institutions are among the best in the world. The conclusion is that high tax rates do not provide quality education in Sweden.
The Non-Socialist European Success Story: Switzerland
An example that a country as Non-Socialist can be very successful, is Switzerland. Citizens of Switzerland only pay 8.6% of their personal income in liabilities annually. The economic climate in Switzerland is particularly positive adjusted for activities involving entrepreneurship. It employs three quarters of the working-able population in small and medium enterprises. Globally, Switzerland ranks as the country with the highest economic growth in several categories such as employee training, attracting talent and innovation.
There is an evident advantage of Switzerland in relation to the Scandinavian countries, despite the fact that it is capitalist and they are socialist countries. The unemployment rate is only 4.5% and is one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. The poverty rate is also low. The employment rate of people who immigrate to Switzerland is 76%, while the European average for this category is 62%.
The education system in Switzerland is 3rd in the world in terms of quality. Higher ranked are only the education systems of Japan and Korea, meaning that the educational system of Switzerland is the best in the Western world.
Inequality income and debts in Switzerland are very low. Wealthy Swiss pay 20.9% of taxes in the country. Despite the low tax burden on the rich, the country has a high rate of GDP compared to the Nordic countries.
The perception of Switzerland as a “paradise” is justified, although it is essentially a capitalist country. Maybe it is time for the socialist countries and the US to take part of this ideology to increase values and achieve greater economic growth.
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It is said that everything has a price, even happiness and prosperity. Scandinavian countries are also on the verge of paying that price, not in the literal form though, but in an even worse one.
According to a survey conducted last summer, millennials and people older than the age of 80 considered themselves as unhappy and unsatisfied in Scandinavian countries including Sweden and Denmark. Although the percentage is still under 20%, it is yet an alarming phase shift for countries where living standards are promisingly pleasant for the outer world.
The feelings of dissatisfaction are largely linked to the mental health of the participants of the survey. Another factor that could play a pivotal part is claimed to be unemployment for these people. Irrespective of the cause, Scandinavian countries are facing more than just the traditional problems now. However, such surveys could be really helpful in finding the root cause and eliminating them, and surely country officials are already working on resolving them.
