Sweden in 2004

The Swedish model, essentially represented a high level of state provision of welfare and pension security financed by a high degree of economic liberalization that aimed at increasing output, employment and tax revenues. But, the model was not built to take into account the pressures of globalization and shifting demographics. A low post war birth rate, attributed by some to Sweden's famous sexual liberation of the 1960s and a higher than normal percentage of older males, a consequence of the country's Second World War neutrality had left Sweden with a shortage of young people willing to do low to middle level jobs and a large proportion of fit, elderly folk entitled to retire on very generous pensions when they reached 60...

The sustainability of the Swedish model was critically dependent upon the ability of the government to maintain high levels of public spending using tax receipts from high earning businesses, which employed 80 per cent of the population...

Exhibit I: Fact Sheet
Exhibit II: Economic Data
Exhibit III: Exports & Imports
Exhibit IV: General Elections Results
Exhibit V: Social Indicators and Living Standards - 2003