Some solo dwellers may be in long-term relationships. Many more will be dating. Read more: Why women revel in the ritual of being single. This is a country where singledom is so common, a particular genre of apartment — think white walls, compact space and Ikea-led minimalism — has become a byword for solo living. Individual freedom is king. Freedom of the individual is a core value of all Scandinavian countries, driving right to the heart of its collective national identity.
Read more: Being single makes you a brilliant traveller. But it also intrinsically changes the nature of romantic relationships. Without reliance playing into the equation, the decision to settle down in Scandinavian countries becomes one where individual choice and freedom hangs in the balance.
Or you have to give up the chance for continuing your education, or running in the marathon, because you have to spend time with the family. Another reason why being single is so widespread in Sweden is that the state uses a high-tax welfare system to fuel its egalitarian vision: people can afford to live independently.
Read more: How solo travel gets rid of a major stress trigger. The average age for a first marriage is also relatively high; 33 years for women and When the state is your friend — and a giving and fair-minded pal, at that — you have less call for a partner. Stripped of the financial or emotional reliance that a marriage so often — even now — represents, Swedes are choosing to live as they like. Read more: Three great places for solo travel in Communal living is fast becoming a thing in Sweden, as single people live alone together in independent flats, with shared gardens and dining areas.
In a free-wheeling world like this, even the mere concept of dating can feel a little too loaded. Read more: Forget dating and just connect with people. If not, no big deal. In a place where the search for a soul-mate is so easily weighed against personal ambition, the latter increasingly wins. Visit the depths of winter-time Sweden as we hike beneath the Northern Lights, rally drive around an ice course and cruise across the snow on a fleet of snowmobiles.
