Why the UK is BETTER Than Sweden | 10 Annoying Reasons

Sweden is a good country, and I like a lot about it. But it's unfortunately not perfect. Far from it. In this video I decided to list 10 things that the UK does better than Sweden!
For more videos every week, subscribe to the channel: kzbin.info...
Also, join the Three Star Vagabond Facebook group to talk about upcoming videos: / threestarvagabond
This list has a wide range of things, from small conveniences to life-changing improvements compared to Sweden. And a few surprising ones as well.
The first item in my list is possibly a bit controversial. British food is often mocked, but the thing is...I think that it's still better than Swedish food. From there, I move on to discussing UK salaries which are quite a bit better than Swedish ones (most of the time).
And there's a lot more that the UK does better. There are much more famous authors from these isles, the whisky is (obviously) better, and there's a lot more events and things to do. Oh, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Brits handle cold weather better than Swedes, ironically enough.
But the fun doesn't stop there! Store opening hours and accessibility, diversity, pub culture, and British humour and comedy in general are also things that I bring up in this video. And there's probably a ton of other things that I missed - but these are the ones that sprang to mind at least.
What else do you think that the UK does better? Leave a comment!

[@pearlhowells4187]

Well said the U K does have lots of good people with a great sense of humour and always make you feel welcome glad you enjoyed it thank you 🙏

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Thank you! And I totally agree - I love it every time I visit there :D

[@Zomerset]

Thank you showing some of our good points. There are many things we don’t do well at (both here and abroad), so it is nice to hear a fellow European say good things about our country.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

There are always positives and negatives about a country, and personally I'd say that there's a lot of good things about the UK :D

[@ChristopherGronlund]

So, it would seem Sweden's best comedian is you! 😀 Like you, discovering comedians from the UK was great. We have always had great comedians in the U.S., but UK comedians hit in a different way. As far as novels, I once joked with friends that I should have written noir crime and used my name to my advantage: "I'm Kristoffer Grönlund, and this novel is a dark, true crime novel set near my hometown of Vidsel, Sweden..." Swedish crime novels definitely became an international thing, there, for a while...but I agree that British writers have the advantage.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Oh you would have sold tons of books just from the name alone! But yeah, I just don't think there's any comparison when it comes to either authors or comedians. I just adore 70s / 80s / 90s British comedy. And later as well, but I've seen less of it lately.

[@markstill515]

The working class can’t afford pubs and restaurants in London or anywhere in the uk it’s mainly an upper middle class activity

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

There's a lot of middle class people out and about though!

[@yoni-in-BHAM]

I Love London and the UK in general! But the crowds there in London would stress me out! 😅 I really love the architecture! 😍🤩

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

I actually don't mind the crowds at all. Except when trying to find a spot at a pub or a restaurant in a popular area :D

[@gdok6088]

I love London too and the crowds give me a buzz!

[@donnamortensen959]

Really enjoyed the vlog, Miro. The sights and sounds of London made me more excited for my upcoming trip. So much to see and experience however will probably go easy on the food - giving the blood pudding and jellied eels a BIG miss 😝will really enjoy visiting some of the pubs though. Agree with you on the amazing authors from the UK - and as nerdy as it sounds, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Charlotte Brontë are some of my favourites and GB Shaw is one of my favourite playwrights. Thanks again for sharing your travels with us 👍😊

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Blood pudding isn't really as bad as it sounds - we often eat something similar here in Sweden. With bacon and lingonberry jam :D I hope you'll have a wonderful time! The only complaint I have about London pubs is that they're often crowded. I prefer less busy spots myself. Oh, and I love Shaw as well! Pygmalion is so much fun - I love comparing it to My Fair Lady (I like both for different reasons).

[@donnamortensen959]

Included GB Shaw even though he is Irish! Closer to the UK than I am lol 🤪

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

@@donnamortensen959 "What, isn't Ireland part of the UK?!" I literally saw an American say that on TikTok yesterday :D

[@donnamortensen959]

@@ThreeStarVagabond yes! I do the same - I have a love of the written but also rather enjoy the Rex Harrison/Audrey Hepburn combination in MFL😊

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

@@donnamortensen959 Exactly! I find myself humming some of the songs at inappropriate times. "With a little bit of luck" in the mornings etc :D

[@GreakFTW]

Not a Swede but a Norwegian. The salary part is flat out wrong. The average salary of the two countries are about the same, UK seem to have around a 3-8% (depending on the sources) higher average salary than Sweden. A low enough gap that it is neglectable in an earning to earning comparison. And doing such an comparison has more to do with their individual currencies strength at that time than how much they actually make. And if you put gross income into the comparison, Sweden comes out 10 - 30% ahead.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

More than one person has said the same thing... I guess my anecdotal experiences from the IT industry aren't really true if you look at the whole market!

[@HerrBrutal-bl2fk]

GreakFTW, how did you arrive at that conclusion? Like I recently pointed out in another comment, the median monthly earnings across all sectors in the UK are £2,334, while In Sweden they are £2,876 according to the latest accessible statistics. It's easy to make mistakes in this area. People often end up comparing pears and apples.

[@GreakFTW]

@@HerrBrutal-bl2fk Dont remember, it was 2 months ago. If i recall correctly it was pulled from 3 - 4 sources. Note that I make a difference from income and earnings. And i used the US dollar and not the pound(as it is the best currency for such an comparison). I believed Sweden would be higher. Are you sure you do not mix up income and salary? Cause if you are talking about income your findings are spot on to mine. Searching up any sources on average wages I land on the same conclusion as I did earlier. The reason I made a difference if I recall correctly is that the video directly said wages or salary are higher in the UK. Which is accurate. But the amount was drastically pulled out of proportions.

[@tumarfa]

1:36 - Last time Ikea cloudberry jam. And now Abba herring. 😂 Perhaps you could look into Swedish food some day? From your commentary it seems there might be several things foreigners must be warned about, apart from the sea food.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

I've had a note in my backlog forever to make a video about Swedish food - either finding odd examples, or weird ones, etc... I'm just not much of a foodie, so I find it hard to find a good angle to the video! I'll have to make it happen anyway soon :D

[@pkharper3525]

Enjoyed the Video. It has a lot to do with the amount of people in a city, example in Canada you go to Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and in the USA New York, Atlanta and L.A when you get that many people and diversity in city’s there’s always more to do. I still Love Stockholm with the parks,waterways and museums it’s an amazing city. Ok one thing is the humor, British people do have a great sense of humor. Stay safe till next time 👍

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Yeah, good point! But I also think that some countries just have had more of a mix of people from different places. Sweden is just...a bit more isolated. But cheers, and thank you! :D

[@HerrBrutal-bl2fk]

Great video! However, the part about wages is hardly correct. According to the ONS data for January 2024, the median monthly earnings across all sectors in the UK were £2,334. In Sweden they were £2,876 for the full year of 2023, according to Statistics Sweden (SCB). I guess someone is confusing Central London wages with UK wages in general here. 🙂

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Haha, I think the last sentence might be spot on... Or rather, I think I was comparing tech jobs in particular, and most of those can be found around London. I have a bit of a tech bias when looking at stuff! ^_^

[@juliettemathier]

Hey, I wanted to comment already on the last two or three videos but well, my brain said no. ^^ (well, it produced too many thoughts to handle/type 🤣) I really enjoyed this one as well! As usual 😊 I have to admit, I’ve never been to Sweden (unfortunately) but I’ve been interested in all Scandinavia since my teenage years 😅 (probably due to a mix of history, „mythology“ & ‚progressive‘ politics- but to be honest - I know more about the ancient stuff 😁) I recognised Highgate cemetery in the first shot 😁 (I might be a weirdo, but love the place! Did you go on the tour? Thinking about booking one again for my next trip ☺️Also - one of my favourite historians - Eric Hobsbawm - lies there as well - I still remember how blown away I was as a student bc of his work/thoughts on „the invented traditions“) My „happy place“ is actually London - so many things I adore are reachable with less struggle (and cost - compared to Switzerland!) I mean: Museums, markets, theatres, good authentic (!) cuisines (ok, not thinking about the English or Swedish right here 😅 but I‘m also not a fan of the „Swiss kitchen“ - if that even exists outside from a handful of dishes 🤣) The Humor & diversity are a huge plus for me as well! And last but not least : yep! PUBS (and their culture)😁 I‘m a vineyard’s daughter, cherishing beer, wine, gin, whisky… and apparently concerning the latter, we have the same taste ^^ Btw, did you know that the… can’t remember the complete name… shop for monsters supply - does (or used to to) some charity stuff for children in their region? (Creativity/writing) one wall in the shop is indeed a hidden door 😉 Need to stop my rambling 😁 (hence why I comment rarely ^^) However, if you’d be up for it - let me know if you‘ll be in or near Switzerland- my partner and I would love to give some tips, show you around and share some good meals & nice drinks with you 😉 (but yeah, strangers on the internet 🙈so nevermind ^^ I/we won’t be offended 😁) Have a great day/evening! Looking forward to your next Video!

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Thanks for the comments - I understand that you're reluctant to write, but this was appreciated :D I love Swedish history actually! It's really fascinating to compare with modern day. And I actually didn't take a tour at Highgate. My trips are always so rushed, so I typically read up on a ton of things by myself in advance, and then I explore places on my own instead. Maybe not the smartest way, but I enjoy it... And yeah! I talked to the shopkeepers at Monster Supplies and they told me about it - it was really nice to hear, and I should have added some comment about it ^_^ I would love to get some local Swiss insights like that! I've just driven through Switzerland and stayed at a few cool hotels by lakes, but never experienced much of it. Unfortunately I don't have a trip there planned right now - but if I plan something for summer I'll definitely let you guys know :D

[@ThorSuzuki1]

GDP per capita says otherwise regarding regarding salaries as Swedes are richer.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

What the... You're right, according to every major economic list, Sweden has a higher GDP per capita than the UK. So, I should probably add a big caveat to my statement: it seems to only be true for certain occupations, and maybe in certain regions as well.

[@michaellucas4873]

GDP, however expressed, is a measure of economic output rather than individual remuneration or wealth. Incidentally, the cost of living in Sweden is noticeably higher than in the UK.

[@dag3014]

Be careful mate, us Brits aren't comfortable with being told good things about our country, expect some extremely pessimistic comments saying that we're a "third world country" or just that "everything is terrible" XD. To be real though, whilst we have some serious problems (dont get me started on Brexit) , we need to be grateful for some of the things we have. And to be honest i think many brits have become complacent in how good we have it here.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

I think it's the same for most countries right now! Everyone is complaining that things were better a couple of decades ago - and it seems like the grass isn't greener anywhere at all. Appreciating what one has is probably a good thing to be reminded of now and then.

[@gdok6088]

@@ThreeStarVagabond Appreciation and gratitude for what we have is very important, I agree with you 100%.

[@patrickwoods2213]

When it comes to metal music, Sweden has the UK beat!

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Damn straight! :D Haha, but then again the UK was awesome back in the days of 70s - 80s rock.

[@GustaviusXIV]

Turned off after food is better fantasies.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

You can keep your stinking sill to yourself.

[@margomaloney6016]

Borta bra men hemma bäst! Thanks for the tour of London, Miro! 😊

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Haha precis! I like Sweden but I'll never stop complaining about many things as well :D

[@k.williamjones3978]

American here. I am very fond of Sweden, having lived there for a year. Mitt hjärta är i Sverige. But your video reminds me of some things I am not so fond of in Sweden: 1) Too much seafood (for my tastes). 2) I am SO tired of Nordic Noir. It's as if all these Swedish authors jump on the bandwagon just to make money. 3) While it's true that each culture has its own brand of humor that does not translate well (and I am not talking about language differences), Swedish humor makes no sense to me. It is very dark, and just not funny... I enjoy your videos, and your wry humor (despite what I said in #3)...

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Haha, thanks a lot! I do think that I have quite a sarcastic sense of humor sometimes - maybe not so dark though. But then again, I do a lot of things that are un-Swedish :) Great list of things to dislike about Sweden though. It's always good to be able to criticize things even if you like them, I think!

[@gdok6088]

You shouldn't feel bad that the UK beats Sweden in so many areas; it's not just Sweden that is outclassed by the UK, it's most countries in the world actually - on these metrics anyway. That should cheer you up as a Swede. From my visit to Stockholm I can remember the Vasa museum, but not much more. In fact I'm not sure there was much more.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Oh, lots of water and trees and drunk Swedes as well. But yeah, that's about it

[@gdok6088]

@@ThreeStarVagabond Yes, I did notice the water and even went out to several of the many islands - there was nothing there either.

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

Some surprises there and it was a teeny bit London centric. The UK is 4 (or 3.5?) countries, so you're comparing those 4 against 1 - Sweden. To be fairer, maybe compare the UK vs the 4 Scandinavian countries? But I know it's just a bit of fun. ps, you really do need to get yourself up north. I'm biased but Yorkshire is nice - some of us even say nej for no. When you're up here check out and compare York, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle vs Sweden? Or even Hull if you're feeling brave.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Oh, absolutely - both regarding that the video was a bit too London centric, and that I need to visit the north! It's always this lack of vacation days vs everything I want to do, and I happened to be in London for work anyway. That's why I could do some filming at the same time ^_^

[@kenneyraikkonen]

Funny isn't it how we always think the grass is greener elsewhere. I'm born and bred UK and I hate this country and what it's become. I'd gladly move away in a heartbeat

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Haha, I feel like that every time I look out the window here in Sweden. Snow and cold and misery...

[@kenneyraikkonen]

@@ThreeStarVagabond we suffer together my friend! 😂😂😂 Stay healthy and safe.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

You too! Spring is coming - hopefully both metaphorically and literally :D

[@Cybercenturycentaur]

There is no skärgarden in London!

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Haha, agreed! All they've got is a dirty river...

[@123malichi]

@@ThreeStarVagabondA Dirty River ???

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

@@123malichi The Thames isn't exactly as nice as skärgården

[@mazzyycat]

We do have some pretty funny people here in Sweden too you know. Killing Gänget, Grotesco etc are S-tier imo. And Robban is our own Atkinson/Clease. But its been drying up the last 10 years or so tho. But that feels more like a global thing if anything, because I could say the same thing about the US and UK comedy scene

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Shh shh, don't ruin my complaints with all your facts :D But yeah I agree that the comedy scene has declined...but then again, it could also be that it's spread out to different kinds of media, or that I'm missing some of the most popular stuff.

[@Thomas.Deverell]

White old Sweden? When I visited Bergsjön, that is a district in Gothenburg, I thought that then I was not in Sweden anymore - there was not a single person looking European that time.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Same if you go to Rosengård in Malmö, or Husby in Stockholm... But things look quite different outside areas with a high degree of immigrants.

[@Jarnvargfenrirsson]

Intersting, i found all northern cousine pretty poor in contrast with those of mediterranean, in London there are more plces to eat and a huge diversity because this cosmopolitan thing, salaries, well it depends, the tax thing also a variable to consider, authors, there are pretty good swedish literature, perhaps not so "universal" , activities, yeah, that is London again is huge in cultural offers, weather...well Sweden isxwaaaay colder than UK,Pubs, yeah, Irish, britsh are great, comedy, Sweden is not bad atcall on sense of humor, but less examples , may of this is duing tto the huge diversity and a better integration policies in UK, Sweden seems each day more and more segregated inside, that is not good. Weell again, great video!

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Thanks! :D Yeah, I guess that many of the points could be argued - but it's how I feel about it at least. I don't dislike Sweden - but it could do better at many things

[@JScot92]

I think you were harsh on Stockholm on your "events and activities" point. If Stockholm were in the UK it would be considered our second city no doubt. It's a very beautiful place with lots to see; London is simply bigger. Stockholm is far more appealing than Manchester or Birmingham in my opinion. Edinburgh is attractive too but it's smaller than Stockholm. :)

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

I love Stockholm, don't get me wrong! But I've actually had the problem of what to do in the evenings many times. Things that involve alcohol are plentiful - but it's hard to find more non-drinking-related events and activities. Maybe it's just a visitor's bias, but I feel like there's more happening in many UK places ^_^

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

@@ThreeStarVagabond The bad thing about places being open 24/7/365 is that someone has to work those hours. Also, it's tiring when everything is on the go all the time. I liked Sweden because you do stop on a Sunday or at 4am. Careful what you wish for 😉

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

@@TheGramophoneGirl It could be one of those things that feels great when I'm visiting a country with longer opening hours...but it could end up feeling horrible to live with it. Hard to tell! :)

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

@@ThreeStarVagabond Maybe, and there's only one way to find out. Even after Brexit we still have a lot to offer and if you can get a secondment from work maybe spend a year here to see if it works for you.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

@@TheGramophoneGirl Oh well, if I were to spend a year abroad I just might go for someplace warmer unfortunately :D But definitely something to think about for 2025...

[@mskatonic7240]

UK can handle the cold?? Have you seen what happens when it snows here? Everything closes, schools, trains, the works. As for 24 hour living - London yes. Rest of the country, not so much.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Fair point (on both things). But then again... Sweden can't handle snow either. It's not like it should be a surprise for us but every year it's the same thing. "Whaaat, snow on the roads?! Cancel all traffic!"

[@simbella99]

Considering Brexit and the high risk of bad food taking over the market - just to mention one of all the tihings - I'd say the UK is not, and will not for a long time, be what it used to be...

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

Unfortunately, I can say the same thing about Sweden! It's like every place is going downhill lately...

[@simbella99]

Well, I'm talking food safety should it not have been clear from my previous post...

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

@@simbella99 Well that certainly makes it much more clear! I take back the Sweden comment...

[@simbella99]

No worries... my mistake for not being clear enough... :)

[@gdok6088]

Food standards have not dropped in the UK since Brexit, we have retained equivalency with the EU in this sphere. And just so you know, I did not want or vote for Brexit. But we are where we are and my comment is objective.

[@peterd788]

The UK is not a big place. It just has a huge number of people. It has a sixth of the population of the US but is smaller than a third of US states. Sweden is nearly twice the size of the UK in area.

[@ThreeStarVagabond]

I'm used to the sparesely populated Sweden so it sounds so weird to me with a country so (relatively) packed with people! But yeah, there are much more densely populated places than that as well...

[@matshjalmarsson3008]

Jag har en idé, inte helt färdigtänkt, att göra en walk and talk-video i en så kallad no go zone här i Malmö. Som sagt inte helt klar över hur det ska byggas ihop, men jag tänker att det kunde bli ännu bättre om man gjorde det i tandem, liksom, jag i Malmö, du i Sthlm, kanske nån i Gtb. Är du intresserad så maila mats(&)mohsart punkt se