Abstract
The production infrastructure of the Kingdom of Sweden had survived war periods intact, and the social and political environment after WWII turned out to be favorable for economic growth. In the early 1950s, Sweden enjoyed full employment. Economic development reflected the increase in gross domestic product—an average of 4.5% per year (in the late 1940s), which decreased to about 3% in the late 1950s—the reason was the inflation caused by the Korean War in the early years of the decade. The 1960s, widely regarded as the “golden era,” were characterized by a high rate of growth of national income and a great deal of optimism. This has forged a new and so widely appreciated social welfare system, and unemployment rate was reduced to a very low level. This period is also associated with strong restructuring—the agricultural sector noted a significant loss in importance, the unprofitable companies were closed, and smaller companies merged with larger ones.
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Notes
- 1.
The years 1945–1975 were characterized by very strong economic growth and increasing competitiveness of industrial production in Sweden.
- 2.
The basic status indicators of the economy in 1995, Czarny (2002), p. 386.
- 3.
Their decline has occurred only in the third year of the EU membership.
- 4.
Data after: http://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/countries/member-countries/sweden_pl (retrieved June 14, 2017).
- 5.
In 2016, Sweden paid 30.4 billion SEK as a contribution to the EU, and received back 11 billion SEC; data after: EU-upplysningen.
- 6.
Data after: http://www.tarr.org.pl/news/files/2015-06-26/Park-Technologiczny-Toru%C5%84-23-VI-2015---Szwecja.pdf (retrieved June 25, 2017).
- 7.
It is worth adding here that the big tenders are rarely won by non-Swedish businesses.
- 8.
Exactly 4,998,400 in the year 2016, https://pl.tradingeconomics.com/sweden/unemployment-rate (retrieved June 25, 2017).
- 9.
In the year 2014, it stood at 8.4%, and 2016—at 7.2%.
- 10.
The scale of unemployment: men—5.9%, women—5.2%. Labor force by sector: private utility—40%, public—32%, industrial and mining—20%, construction—5.5%, agriculture and forestry—2.5%; data from: Facts and Figures Sweden, IS, December 2000. Labour force participation: men: 68.6%; women: 63.7%, data for 2015, http://www.swedentips.se/facts-figures/ (retrieved June 25, 2017).
- 11.
As certified by the need to raise some customs tariff rates after Sweden joining the EU, which resulted in an increase of approximately 1% of the average of the import rate as compared to the time prior to accession.
- 12.
This surplus has been constant since 1983 onwards.
- 13.
See: https://www.icagruppen.se/en/about-ica-gruppen/our-operations/ica-sweden/ (retrieved August 20, 2017).
- 14.
See: https://www.axfood.se/ (retrieved August 20, 2017).
- 15.
For more on this subject, see: Czarny (2002), p. 388.
- 16.
This was worse than forecast presented in August 2001 which estimated that the GDP for 2001 would amount to 1.5%, while in 2002 it would reach 2.7%; for more on this subject, see: Czarny (2002), p. 394.
- 17.
In order to achieve the employment goal, it was necessary to limit the growth rate of wages, to implement changes in legislation and to apply measures reducing the number of retiring people.
- 18.
The NRI-Networked Readiness Index (The World Economic Forum's Networked Readiness Index) measures the readiness of countries to use the opportunities offered by the information and communication technologies (ICT). It is published annually. NRI aims to better understand the impact of ICT on competitiveness of states. It consists of three elements: the ICT environment offered by a given country or community (meaning the market, legal and political infrastructure), readiness of key stakeholders (individuals, businesses, and governments) to use information and communication technologies and the use of information and communication technologies between these entities, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Networked_Readiness_Index (retrieved August 12, 2014).
- 19.
- 20.
For some interesting information on innovation at local levels, see: Innovation and governance.
- 21.
- 22.
- 23.
More on this subject in: Czarny (2017), pp. 131–148.
- 24.
One could pay attention to the latest initiative called Nordic Sustainable Cities (April 2017) of the five Nordic Prime Ministers; more on this subject at: http://www.norden.org/sv/tema/nordic-solutions-to-global-challenges/nordiska-haallbara-staeder (retrieved June 26, 2017).
- 25.
A positive example of such a solution could be the introduction of different registration fees in Sweden in 1987 which resulted in rapid implementation of catalytic converters.
- 26.
For more, see: Nordiska klimatlösningar, http://www.norden.org/sv/tema/nordic-solutions-to-global-challenges/nordiska-klimatloesningar (retrieved June 17, 2017).
- 27.
For more, see: Nordiska ministerrådet. Miljöavdelningen, www.norden.org.
- 28.
Facts on Nordic co-operation, http://www.norden.org/en/fakta-om-norden-1/10-facts-about-the-nordic-region-and-nordic-co-operation (retrieved October 02, 2014).
- 29.
See: Nordiskt samarbete behövs för en hållbar utveckling, http://www.norden.org/en/news-and-events/news/ nordiskt samarbete--behoevs-foer-en-haallbar-utveckling (retrieved July 14, 2017).
- 30.
One of the entries in the Plan also provides that: This Environmental Action Plan will serve as a policy document for work within the framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment over the next six years, i.e. 2013–2018. With its focus on solutions, the program presents ways in which the Nordic Region can make a significant difference; see also: http://www.norden.org/en/publications/publikationer/2012-766 (retrieved July 11, 2014).
- 31.
See: Nordiska ministerrådet.
- 32.
In 1987, the report of the UN World Commission on Environment and Development was released, helmed by Gro Harlem Brundtland. The report was called “Our Common Future” and it defined, inter alia, the concept of sustainable development.
- 33.
Paradoxically, it has hurt the Green Party the Green Party because of the regular line of environmental policy ceased to be sufficient. The ones with a new plan of sustainable development proved to be the winners.
- 34.
See: Czarny (2014), pp. 79–100.
- 35.
See. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GCR2016-2017/05FullReport/TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2016-2017_FINAL.pdf p. 26, (retrieved August 08, 2017).
- 36.
The Swedish economy advanced 1.7% on quarter in the three months to June 2017, beating market expectations of 1% and following an upwardly revised 0.6 growth in the previous period, the preliminary estimate showed.
- 37.
The GDP per capita in Sweden, when adjusted to Purchasing Power Parity is equivalent to 261% of the world's average.
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Czarny, R.M. (2018). Economy of the Kingdom of Sweden. In: Sweden: From Neutrality to International Solidarity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77513-5_15
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