Is Sweden actually safe?

One of the most fascinating things about Sweden is its well-preserved history of the Viking Era. Vikings, the ship sailors, traders, and skillful warriors, that we often see in movies. But in Sweden, this era is for certain now only history, since there has not been any war for more than 200 years!!

But is it due to the fact that there has been no war since 1814 that Sweden often ranks as one of the top 10 safest countries in the world? Well, let’s explore this question together.

It is important to point out that whether someone feels safe in a different country depends greatly on personal experiences. The country that I come from, Slovakia, is not dangerous, in my opinion. Although there are crimes happening and it has its own political issues, Slovakia has not been in any war conflict for several years and people tend to feel quite safe. But as a young woman, I still don’t feel completely safe walking alone on a street at night. You can often find a lot of strangers who are either high, drunk, or homeless, and make me personally feel uncomfortable. But are you wondering what it is like in Sweden?

Sweden in the dark (small vs. big cities)

I live in a small city called Skövde in between the two largest Swedish lakes. It has almost 60 000 inhabitants but I rarely see people on the streets. Since it is winter, it is often dark on my way from school. As I walk home, I enjoy the calmness of the world. Sometimes a car passes by but I’m not afraid. Even when I am not afraid, I am still careful. As a woman, I was taught to always be.

In a bigger city, people will be harder to avoid. Both locals and tourists. This has its advantages and disadvantages. My friends who live in Stockholm and Gothenburg told me that they usually feel safe even at night. But they also recommend that if you are not used to walking alone at night, there might be parts where you probably wouldn’t want to walk; dark corners of the streets or those with unfamiliar people.

Despite this, Stockholm is one of the top 10 safest capital cities in the world, and the same goes for other large Swedish cities. The locals often naturally obey the laws because they respect their government. Most Swedes like to live their own life without bothering others. The crime rate is very low but being careful is never a bad thing. I suggest locking your front door or a bike, as thieves do exist. And why not walk with a friend when you can – it’s not only safer but also more fun, right?

Read more about a safety-related experience from Gimmy living in Gothenburg.

Interested in what it’s like to live as a Moslem in Stockholm? Got you covered as well, just check out Satu’s blog “living as a Moslem in Stockholm”.

Challenge with integration

Sweden is known to be very open and accepting towards different nationalities. It was surprising for me to see how multicultural the country is. It’s something that makes Sweden stand out from many other countries. The locals are so used to this diversity that they tend to consider anyone Swedish. They will speak to you in the Swedish language no matter what nationality you ‘look like’. Although I find it sometimes a little annoying since I don’t speak Swedish fluently, I’ve heard that it makes people feel part of the community. Especially since there are many people whose family has a different origin but they have been born in Sweden and have lived here their whole lives.

However, you might have heard discussions about how it might have brought one of the challenges related to safety, especially in larger cities. Integration can be hard for some. Although not so common in Sweden, cultural differences can sometimes collide and cause conflicts among people, no matter where in the world we look at. It takes time for people to adjust to a new culture and society. The Swedish government, however, tries its best to make the process as easy as possible. I personally don’t know anyone who would feel mistreated in any way in Sweden, no matter where they come from. But this matter is very subjective.

And there is always room for improvement. With the increasing diversity of cultures, new opportunities but also challenges arise. To make people feel like they are part of the multicultural community is the Swedish goal. Some of the objectives the Swedish government focuses on are:

• applying effective anti-discrimination measures
• faster introduction for new arrivals
• greater equality in work and school environment
• better language skills (SFI) for free
• more adult education opportunities
• step-in jobs – starting jobs for newly arrived immigrants

Equality

Equality is truly a broad term defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as “the right of different groups of people to have a similar social position and receive the same treatment”. In Sweden, they are aiming for equality for different genders, people with disabilities, different sexual orientations, people of different origins, skin colour, etc.

Equality between men and women

Sweden was one of the first countries to give women the right to vote (1919), as well as the right of inheritance or property ownership (1884), and to give the father equal right to paternal leave (and benefit) as the mother. Although several laws against gender discrimination have been passed since the 1980s, it is not uncommon to find a majority of males in higher working positions. For example, to my surprise, Sweden never had a female president or a prime minister prior to 2021. How strange, right?

But this year, Sweden finally elected its first female prime minister, Magdalena Andersson. It’s a sign of the times changing. We can see more and more women in higher positions. And the most important thing is that the country offers women equal opportunities that in many other countries worldwide they still do not have.

For example, I was surprised to see many women doing jobs that I was taught are only for men such as grass-mowing, working as a garbage truck driver, or at building sites. It is so atypical in my country, but in Sweden, it’s truly normal.