Motivated to improve the lifestyle of all Swedish citizens, Sweden developed a strong consumer society and has an outstanding welfare system. In 1995, Sweden joined the European Union, but the citizens rejected the euro. The country has remained out of the Eurozone because of the concerns over the impact on sovereignty, economy, and its welfare system. Sweden’s capitalist system, combined with large welfare elements was shaken by the downfall of the global economy in 2009, but because of the government’s …show more content…
As of July 2015 Sweden’s overall population is estimated to be 9,801,616 with an estimated 0.8% growth rate. Sweden’s estimated net migration rate is 5.42 migrants/1000 population, which is a total population increase of approximately 127,00 immigrants. When the comparison is made to the GDP, immigrants create an increase of 0.5% to the growth of Sweden’s GDP. However, the generous benefits of Sweden’s welfare system and high taxes reduce the incentives of immigrants to look for work. On the other hand, the openness of granting immigrants asylum does not extend to great opportunities for employment. Many of the migrants cannot find decent work even after living in the country for ten years. Immigrants earn extremely low wages, even if they are well educated. This suggests that many working immigrants rely heavily on the welfare system of Sweden. The country’s lavish welfare state seems to prevent immigrants from rising to better