Have you considered studying in Sweden but are unsure if you will adapt to Swedish culture? If this question constantly bothers you, let’s look at the rankings.
Overall well-being
Sweden is the third country in the overall Prosperity Index rankings. This means that Sweden is in the top 10 countries in living conditions, quality education, health care, personal freedom, infrastructure, economic quality, and the list goes on…These are pretty fantastic achievements, and I believe are an excellent reason to choose to move to Sweden!
Personal Safety
I can imagine moving to another country make you worry about your safety since you are new to the area. Stop stressing about it because Sweden is among the world’s top 25 safest countries! Yes, the Nordic countries are one of the safest places on earth, and I can assure you. To support this, I can tell you when several times I lost my wallet. People found it and contacted me on Facebook to give it back to the owner! How amazing is this?
Happiness
Would you like to live in a country where the majority of people feel happy? Reportedly, among others, Sweden is in the top 10 of the happiest countries in the world. I couldn’t agree with this statement more. Whenever I meet new people, I feel so welcome. In general, people are always friendly and smiling. Even the train drivers smile at me!
Gender Equality
It is crucial for all genders to have equal rights, opportunities, and responsibilities. Luckily, Sweden ranks 1st in the EU on the Gender Equality Index. This is evident not only at KTH ( I would say 50-50, sometimes, I feel there are more women, though!) but also in the work environment. According to facts, Sweden has been a strong promoter of gender equality for a long time!
Emphasis on Individuality
Freedom is an essential factor influencing a person’s everyday quality of life. Sweden lines up in third place for personal freedom. Especially Stockholm is a multicultural and international city where everyone can feel safe no matter their political views, religions, and overall opinions. I think individuality and uniqueness are even more celebrated here! KTH teaching is very much open to all of these and more! I will talk about education more in another blog post.
Environmental Quality
Before studying in Sweden, I heard about the sustainable Swedish way of living everywhere (mainly through memes and news). Since arriving in Stockholm, the sustainable lifestyle has motivated me to do more for the climate, the earth, and the community. It is almost like a contagious disease to be more environmentally friendly. Sweden has been working on keeping clean air, water, and soil and abundant resources – all of these, as well as other environmental factors, ensure the health of individuals and contribute to building a healthy community.
I hope this helps to decide to study in Sweden! You could read Raygo’s post about sustainable lifestyle in Sweden! Also, if you haven’t heard about KTH’s support of COP27, check out this post!
//Martyna