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The Scandinavian welfare model is often used as a general term for the way in which Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland have chosen to organise and finance their social security systems, health services and education. The Scandinavian countries are clearly distinguished from other European countries in these areas.

Welfare Benefits

The principle behind the Scandinavian welfare model is that benefits should be given to all citizens who fulfill the conditions, without regard to employment or family situation. The system covers everyone; it is universal. In addition, the benefits are given to the individual, so that e.g. married women have rights independently of their husbands.

In the Scandinavian countries, the State is involved in financing and organising the welfare benefits available to the citizens to a far greater extent than in other European countries. For that reason the welfare model is accompanied by a taxation system which has both a broad basis of taxation and a high taxation burden.

The benefits given are more generous than is the case in the British Beveridge model – and in combination with the taxation system this brings about a greater redistribution than is the case in the Bismarck welfare model, which is aimed rather at maintaining the present status.

The Scandinavian pattern of organisation is also far simpler and immediately comprehensible than is the case in the other European countries. In the Scandinavian countries most of the social welfare tasks are undertaken by the State or local authorities, and only to a limited extent by individuals, families, churches or national welfare organisations.

See also

• Swedish welfare
• Social Model
• Flexicurity
• Social Democracy

Online Articles and books

• Beyond Ideology, The Social Welfare State A defense of the Scandinavian welfare model

• The Scandinavian Model: facts and fairy tales. A critique of the Scandinavian welfare model. (pdf 3Mb)

The free Institute for Economic Research evaluates the Western social models. With scientific methods they compare the the efficiency of social structures in realising prosperity, employment, solidarity and individual freedom. A table comparing the major social objectives here

• Welfare