The Local Sweden

Why is it so hard to make friends with the Swedes?

Sat, 23 Dec 2017 08:59:59 +0100

Sweden tops international surveys in many areas, from gender equality to environmental policy, but it is consistently rated as one of the world's worst places for making friends as a foreigner. But how true is this – and is there an explanation? The Local spoke to experts to find out.

Swedish-UK penpals celebrate 50th anniversary

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:06:04 +0200

Two women from Sweden and the UK are celebrating 50 years of a friendship that began with a school penpal project and has survived ever since.

Sweden 'worst country' for making friends

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 17:37:18 +0200

Sweden has been named the third best country in the world for expats. But there is one area where foreigners seem to struggle: how do you make friends with the reserved and seemingly cold-hearted Swedes?

'Even xenophobic Swedes can be polite’

Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:04:48 +0200

Mattis Hansson, 30, is a civil engineer, working at Sweco. Elias Makhlouta is a 25-year-old sociology student who arrived in Sweden from Syria three years ago. Thanks to the Kompis Sverige initiative, which matches up Swedes and newcomers, they are now friends, and spoke to The Local Voices about socializing in Sweden and learning about each other’s cultures.

'Christmas is a cruel time for lonely Swedes'

Tue, 22 Dec 2015 09:18:42 +0100

Alexandra Charles, founder of Sweden's non-profit women's health organization '1.6 million club', explains why she thinks that Christmas is a cruel holiday for those who are lonely in the Nordic nation.

Swedish woman so lonely she 'wanted to die'

Mon, 09 Nov 2015 17:42:00 +0100

UPDATED: A 35-year-old Swedish woman who wrote to a newspaper to say she was so lonely she'd thought about killing herself, has stirred a debate about the difficulties of making friends in the Nordic nation.

Is it hard to make friends with Swedes?

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:01:00 +0100

Every week, we ask a panel of readers to discuss an issue affecting the lives of immigrants in Sweden. This week: breaking the ice.