- In Sweden, you don’t find houses that seem to built to last for a maximum of two years like you do in the US.
- There are no really poor people in Sweden (or elsewhere in Scandinavia)
- In Sweden, the average car is a Volvo V70/Volvo XC/70. In the US, it would be a Toyota Camry or some cheap Ford/Chevrolet/South Korean SUV.
- Wages are higher in Sweden (and income taxes are actually not that bad) than they are in the US (appr $40 000 compared to $35 000 a year)
- Corporate taxes are lower than in the US and the business climate is very investment friendly
- Housing is cheaper in Sweden
- The economic growth of Sweden is presently higher than it is in the US
- Many families in Sweden own two houses (lots of people have a “summer house”/”summer residence”)
Again, I wish to point out that I love the US, but this doesn’t mean I believe the US has the highest standard of living in the world.
By the way, Scandinavia is rich because of our success in terms of Capitalist entrepreneurship, NOT because of the alleged ‘Socialism’ of our societies.
If other countries ought to “copy” something from Sweden, it is, in that case, our devotion to education, our passion for innovation and our commitment to technological progress and scientific research.