Sweden Faces Rising Cost of living, Debate Highlights Economic Strain
Stockholm, Sweden – September 10, 2025 – The escalating cost of living in Sweden took center stage during the first party leadership debate of the autumn, with opposition leaders sharply criticizing government economic policies. The debate, held today, saw Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson defend his government’s approach of lowering taxes on food, work, adn energy – a response, he stated, to the mandate received from voters in the last election.
Kristersson asserted progress on key economic indicators, claiming, “We have won over inflation, real wages are rising again,” and citing improvements in crime clearance rates and a 60 percent decrease in asylum applications.
Though, Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats countered with unemployment figures, stating, “There are 100,000 more unemployed in Sweden than three years ago. It is as if a whole Norrköping lost the job.”
Nooshi Dadgostar, leader of the Left Party, delivered a especially stark assessment of the financial pressures facing Swedish families. “Although the Swedes save, you do not get it together. A toddler family goes back every month. It has never been so expensive to be Swedish,” she stated, highlighting the growing burden on household budgets.
The debate underscores a central theme in Swedish politics: the struggle to balance economic growth with affordability for citizens. The article was updated September 10, 2025, at 13:34.