SOCIAL POLICY AND LIVING

CONDITIONS IN SWEDEN AND BULGARIA

ILAYDA ALDIKACTI
 SWEDEN
• In Sweden, the state takes a great deal of
responsibility for you as a resident of the
country. You must have a basic income and
be able to live well even if you are
unemployed, ill, or not earning very much
money. Countries that have chosen to pay
for welfare with taxpayers' money are
known as welfare states.

• With its highly developed welfare state,

Sweden falls into the top ranks
internationally (rank 4) with regard to social
policies. Its score on this measure has
declined by 0.3 points since 2014.
 EDUCATION

• Sweden's social policy regarding education is focused on

providing equal access to education, promoting high-
quality education, and fostering lifelong learning
• Sweden ensures that education is accessible to all
residents, regardless of their socioeconomic background.
The Swedish education system offers free education for all
children up to the age of 18, including compulsory
comprehensive school (grundskola) and upper secondary
education (gymnasieskola).
HEALTHCARE
• The Swedish health care system is mainly
government-funded, universal for all citizens
and decentralized,[1] although private health
care also exists. The health care system in
Sweden is financed primarily through taxes
levied by county councils and municipalities. A
total of 21 councils are in charge with primary
and hospital care within the country The
funding and cost of keeps healthcare
affordable and accessible to all Swedish
citizens.[9] Local taxes equate for about 70% of
the budgets for councils and municipalities,
while overall 85% of the total health budget
come from public funding.[
SOCIAL INCLUSION
Sweden has traditionally been known for its
social inclusion policies and an encompassing
welfare system that promotes egalitarianism.
However, in recent years, the country has faced
challenges in areas such as integrating
immigrant populations and addressing
unemployment and poverty, which have not
been effectively resolved. Additionally, the
emergence of a radical right-wing party, the
Sweden Democrats, has influenced the political
landscape of the country. These developments
indicate a shift from Sweden's historical
reputation as a leader in social inclusion
policies.
• Recent developments challenge Sweden's
historical position as a leader in the
provision of welfare and its low levels of
poverty. The data suggests that Sweden is
gradually losing its leading role and is now
comparable to other European countries in
terms of poverty levels and income
distribution. The country's reputation for
being egalitarian and inclusive is less
justified today
BULGARIA
• With significant gaps in its safety
net, Bulgaria falls into the bottom
ranks internationally (rank 40) in the
area of social policies. Its score on
this measure is unchanged relative
to 2014.
EDUCATION
• Education is compulsory until age of 16. Compulsory education at state schools is free of
charge. The state and private higher education schools, colleges and universities charge fees,
although they offer students scholarships.
• The Bulgarian education system has an average to low level of equity. Many children in upper-income
families are able to attend private schools, which show better results in the external evaluations after
the fourth, seventh and 12th grades. In addition, the school dropout rate among minorities, especially
Roma, is significantly higher than the average, meaning that schools do not provide the same
opportunities for all ethnic groups. Finally, geographic variance in the quality of the education provided
by secondary and tertiary schools is very large, with schools in smaller towns and villages and in less
populated areas unable to attract high-quality teaching staff.
HEALTHCARE
• Bulgaria's healthcare system features
both private and public pillars, with public
spending comprising 4.5% of GDP and
private spending comprising 3.5% of
GDP. The National Health Fund (NHF)
dominates the financing, which is funded
by taxes. Bulgaria has relatively high out-
of-pocket payments (46-47%) compared
to other EU countries.
• Bulgaria had the third highest mortality in
Europe, at 708 per 100,000 population in
2015. The four European regions with the
highest death rates from diseases of the
circulatory system were all in Bulgaria
SOCIAL INCLUSION
• In general, Bulgaria’s social policy has not sufficiently included and integrated people with lower-than-
secondary education, minorities and foreigners (mainly refugees or immigrants).
• Additionally, there are no policies sufficiently tailored to the integration needs of specific groups such
as minorities and immigrants. Another contributing factor to weak social inclusion is the fact that some
political actors have a vested interest in keeping certain voter cohorts in a position of dependence,
while other political actors bank on the rhetoric of exclusion and marginalization of certain minority
groups.
SOURCES
• https://www.sgi-network.org/2019/Sweden/Social_Policies
• https://www.sgi-network.org/2017/Bulgaria/Social_Policies
• https://www.informationsverige.se/en/om-sverige/att-komma-till-sverige/valfardsstaten.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_in_Bulgaria
• https://sweden.se/life/society/healthcare-in-sweden