Living in Sweden: 12 Reasons Why I love it here
Thinking about moving to Sweden? Or just wondering what makes this place so special? Well, guess what, today marks 10 years since I moved here! Honestly, I can’t believe it’s been that long it still feels like yesterday. So, to celebrate, I’m sharing 12 reasons why I absolutely love living in Sweden!
I moved to Sweden back in 2015, and honestly, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. There are things I love and some… not so much. But hey, today we’re keeping it positive because, you know, positivity is key to a happy and healthy life. So, let’s focus on the good stuff.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive into the 12 reasons I absolutely love Living in Sweden!
1. Great & Stable Welfare System
Compared to many affluent societies, I personally think Sweden has one of the best-in-class social welfare systems. When living in Sweden, no matter your financial situation – whether you’re unemployed or struggling, you will always have access to healthcare, education, and legal support. That’s why you will hardly see a homeless person in Sweden. If you do, they probably don’t have a social security number—known in Swedish as a personnummer.
A personnummer is the first thing you must apply for when you move to Sweden. It’s one of those must-have things—without it, you’re completely stuck. It’s the key to settling in Sweden, from renting a home to accessing healthcare, and so much more.
Because I moved to Sweden for love, I didn’t have an income in my first few years. Initially, I was worried about quitting my job back in Tanzania and becoming fully dependent on my husband. However, once I was registered as a resident, I started receiving a monthly child allowance. This was such a nice surprise, it felt like my own little pocket money.
And when I gave birth to my last child, I received maternity leave allowance—something that completely shocked me. I thought there had been a mistake when they called to inform me about it. I remember thinking, Mmh, I’ve never worked here, how do I even deserve this? But hey, that’s Sweden for you, and I am so grateful for it.
Of course, Sweden funds this system through taxpayers’ money, which is why taxes are quite high. Fast forward to today, I’m now working and contributing to society through taxes. And honestly, I don’t mind paying high taxes because I can see where they go.
Sadly, some people misuse the system. They don’t want to work or pay taxes; they just want to live off social welfare, creating a burden on the system.
2. Tax Refunds
Speaking of Taxes, let’s talk about Tax refunds.
In Sweden, every year around February, you have to file your tax declaration. The process is incredibly simple and fully digitalized. I love it when I find out that the government is paying me back some of the taxes I’ve paid!
Some financial gurus may recommend balancing tax payments to get a zero tax refund, but for me, this has always been the highlight of my tax declaration process. Back in my home country, despite working for years, I never got a single refund until now living in Sweden!
3. Almost Free Healthcare
Back where I’m from in Tanzania, when negotiating a job offer, I always had to make sure I had health insurance coverage for myself and my immediate family. Since moving to Sweden, I no longer have to worry about that.
Healthcare here is completely free for children, including dental care. In fact, children and young people receive free healthcare and dental care up to the age of 21—a huge win for families!
For us adults, while not entirely free, it’s extremely affordable. A doctor’s visit costs around 200 SEK (about 15 euros or 20 dollars), and seeing a specialist ranges from 300 to 400 SEK. However, there’s a catch—a good one! Sweden has a spending cap of 1,200 SEK per year, meaning that once you reach that amount in medical expenses, the rest of your healthcare visits for the year are completely free.
And for women, maternity care is completely free, from pregnancy check-ups to childbirth. Isn’t that amazing? Sweden’s healthcare system truly sets the bar high.
4. Access to Free Education
Speaking of affordability, let’s talk about education.
The Swedish education system is not only of high quality but also completely free. Back in my home country, I was constantly stressed about saving for my child’s education so they could attend the best private schools. In contrast, here in Sweden, your child can attend any school—whether private or government-owned—completely free of charge. The only time you need to pay is for daycare, and even then, if you don’t have an income, your child can still attend for a minimal number of hours per week.
Living in Sweden also come with the perks of free Higher education. I, of course, took advantage of this opportunity and went back to school to do my master’s at Lund University. Having a Swedish degree on my CV tremendously opened doors for job opportunities.
5. Informal Education is Equally Valued.
On top of formal education, Sweden values informal, vocational education.
I love that in Sweden, you don’t have to go to university to become a doctor, engineer, or lawyer to be considered a successful member of society. They’ve figured out that not everyone is interested in taking that path.
That’s why there are plenty of community colleges (yrkesskolor) that you can join straight after secondary school. These institutions offer short, practical courses that prepare you for a job in a specific field. You can study anything from administration to accounting—there’s a course for everyone. They’re also perfect if you’re looking to switch careers or pick up a new skill.
I even tried a cook-and-Swedish combo course myself (though I didn’t complete the cooking part). However, most of the people who continued are now working as pastry chefs, cooks, and some have even opened their own businesses!
6. Sweden, The Land of Beautiful Nature.
Now, let’s talk nature because Sweden has loads of it, and it’s stunning!
I love how the cities in Sweden are designed so that nature blends in harmony with urban life. No matter where you are, even in big cities like Stockholm or Malmo, you’ll always be close to forests, lakes, and endless hiking trails. I really love this.
Even Just 2 minutes away from where I live there is a little forest with a pond. I pass this place every day when I need to go to the corner store. It’s so calming and beautiful to hear birds singing every morning. It s pure Zen. And just 15 min away there is a walking trail with a stream of water and ponds. It s perfect for a relaxing walk after the end of the day.
7. The Four Seasons.
This is probably one of my favorite reason why i love living in Sweden. Okay, maybe this isn’t super exciting if you’ve always lived somewhere with all four seasons. But for me, I grew up in a place where it’s summer all year long and the days are pretty much predictable. The sun will rise at 6 am and go down at 6pm. Every single day. So, I only knew about seasons from books and movies. But Now, I get to experience them. The whole four seasons, maybe some seasons longer than others since Sweden in closer to the Northern hemisphere.
Jokes aside, I think every season is so special, in Autumn the trees will will be filled with colorful leaves in different shades of yellows, oranges an reds. This is probably my favorite season. Then Winter comes and suddenly, everyone has a gloomy face and you hardly see your neighbors. It’s cold, windy, and quiet. But then one day, boom! It snows. And just like that, the world turns magical. Everyone goes out and plays with snow. The joy is restored again even for a short while. Until the snow starts to melt and it’s back to darkness and gloomy faces of passersby’s.
Now, after the long winters, Sweden’s springs are like a dream. The cherry blossoms, tulips, and wisteria bloom all around, and suddenly, the entire country bursts into color. It’s almost enough to make you forget the dark winter days. Almost. The ground is then decorated with little colorful flowers. The days become a little warmer, lighter and shorter everyday.
And then one day it’s 25 degrees. It’s Summer, we grill, we go to the beach and soak on the rare sun. And everyone you meet is smiling at you again. Aah the joys of seasons.
8. Swedish Food.
I personally think Swedish food is underrated. It is really good. First time I tasted potatoes gratang I was in awe; I had to make it at home. Furthermore, there is such a strong culture around food. The swedes love their comfort food also known as humanoids. I cannot blame them as most dishes categorized as husmanskost are so hearty and warms your heart.
I remember at my previous office, there was a restaurant within the building that used to serve husmanskost every Thursday. On this day, the restaurant used to be fully packed. People came from all around the area to eat here. This lunch always ended with coffee and pancakes served with blueberry jam. These are not your ordinary pancakes. They are Swedish pancakes which have a crepe like texture. I can only imagine, if one has grown up eating these foods, the memory it brings every time they eat it.
Unfortunately, most people don’t really get to experience Swedish food until when living in Sweden or visiting the country. This is because traditional Swedish cuisine isn’t as globally popular as, say, Italian or Japanese food. Many classic dishes, like Janssons frestelse or Kalops , are deeply rooted in local traditions and can be hard to find outside Sweden. However, once you get a taste of Swedish flavors, from the rich and comforting meatballs to the delicate seafood dishes, it’s easy to see why the cuisine deserves more recognition.
9. Access to clean & drinkable tap water.
Tap water in Sweden is perfectly safe to drink and is of high quality. It’s ridiculously clean, fresh, and delicious. Once you have lived in Sweden for a while, you will realize that buying bottled water is a waste of money. I honestly don’t know anyone that buys bottled water here. Unless it’s those fancy sparkling water. It’s also quite normal in restaurants to requests for Tap water. And It s actually kind of hard to buy still bottled water sometime in restaurants because nobody buys it. You will get Tap water free of charge.
10. A family friendly society.
Sweden is a perfect country to live if you are raising a family. There are plenty of playgrounds all around the neighborhoods . It’s a law that every neighborhood/ block of apartments or houses to have playground.
And to help with the cost of raising children, The government provides a monthly allowance per child for families with kids. This is called Barnbidrag. This always come in handy as my children outgrows their clothes every year. And outdoor clothes are not cheap.Other than that this allowance also helped me when I moved to Sweden with zero income. I at least had a little cash every month for myself.
Additionally There is also lots of free activities for kids when they are on vacation. My kids have attended different classes over the years during their vacations, from cooking to coding and they loved it.
You can breastfeed in public and in restaurants.
Sweden has a very family-friendly culture. No one will give you a second glance for breastfeeding in public, and it’s completely normal to see kids running around in restaurants without anyone minding. Once your baby turns one, you are entitled to a daycare spot if needed i.e. full-time (40 hours per week) if you have full-time employment or are studying full-time, or 15 hours per week if you are unemployed and job hunting.
Men pushing a Tram…
One of the first things I noticed within days of living in Sweden was how many dads were out pushing prams. Even now, I still find it pleasantly surprising every time I see it. It’s just so cool! It’s also common to see dads in cafés sharing FIKA while feeding their babies.
This is largely thanks to Sweden’s generous parental leave policy, which grants parents 480 shared days per child. To encourage equal parenting, the government offers special incentives, including double parental leave pay when parents split the leave equally. Additionally, 90 days of the leave are reserved for each parent, ensuring both take time off. According to statistics, Swedish fathers take about 25% of the total parental leave. How cool is that?
11. One Year Maternity Leave.
Now, one of my absolute favorite perks, one year maternity leave. Yep, you heard that right. Parents can split it, or one parent can take the full year, and it’s all paid. It’s such a gamechanger for families. I feel so lucky to have experienced that with my little ones.
As a parent in Sweden, you will get 480 days of parental leave per child when a child is born or adopted. Each parent is entitled to 240 of those days. One parent may also decide to transfer some days to the co-parent or partner. However, each parent has 90 days reserved exclusively for him/her of a child is born after 2015 and 60 days if a child is born before 2014.
If you are a single parent, then you will be entitled to a full 480 days. You can save these parental leave days up you are your child turns 12 years old or is in grade 5. When you take the parental leave, you will also be entitled to a parental benefit. Parental benefit is money you can get to be able to be at home with your child instead of working, studying, or looking for work. This is usually based on your income.
Parental leave is structured so that both parents can take turn into taking care of their children. Children are also guaranteed a place in a day-care facility when they turn 1 year old. This is so that you can go back to work, study, or search for jobs.
In short, Sweden is a very family-friendly country.
12. Well connected to the rest of Europe.
Most people don’t know that Sweden is part of Shengen countries so it’s quite easy to travel around Europe. Whether it’s hopping on a ferry to Finland or grabbing a cheap flight from Stockholm or Copenhagen, you’ll be exploring Europe in no time.
Since I moved to Sweden I have been traveling around Europe to different cities like Paris, Budapest, Athens and many islands in Greece, Gran Carnaria , London and recently South of France. I once had a friend take a bus from Amsterdam to Copenhagen for just a few euros!
Living in Sweden: Why I love it here – Last words.
Moving to Sweden has been a life-changing journey filled with both challenges and incredible experiences. From the breathtaking nature and free education to the delicious cuisine and accessible healthcare, Sweden offers many benefits for those willing to embrace a new culture and way of life. While there are certainly aspects that take time to adjust to, such as the long winters and reserved social culture, the overall experience has been rewarding.
If you’re considering moving to Sweden or simply curious about life here, I hope my personal insights have given you a clearer picture of what to expect. Whether you’re drawn to Sweden for work, love, or adventure, making an informed decision is key to ensuring a smooth transition.
Now, I’d love to hear from you! Are you thinking about moving to Sweden, or have you already made the leap? What are your thoughts or concerns about living in Sweden? Drop a comment below and let’s chat!
If you are thinking of moving to Sweden and don’t know where to start, I have just what you need : Moving to Sweden: The definitive guide! Happy reading!
Kram,
