What is the ”Swedish image”?
It is the perception of Sweden by a general or specific target group that can be geographically, thematically or periodically determined. It also includes how the outside world reports on Sweden. SI follows publications about Sweden in international news reporting and in social media in 53 languages. We also look at how Sweden performs in relation to other countries in international comparisons, surveys and published indexes.
What is the image of Sweden abroad?
The image of Sweden abroad is generally good, but the awareness of Sweden is generally quite low. Sweden’s areas of strength are social governance, environmental and climate protection and quality of life. Sweden ranks high in these areas and is considered to be a competently governed country with a high degree of equality and justice.
What has shaped the image of Sweden in 2022?
The events that have had a particular impact on and shaped the conversation about Sweden in 2022 are: the influence campaign against the social services, Sweden’s decision to apply for NATO membership and the Swedish parliamentary elections.
Why is it important that the image of Sweden is good?
Sweden is a small country whose economy is completely dependent on our relationship with the outside world. In order for Sweden and Swedish actors to be able to operate abroad, other countries need to have a positive attitude towards us. This applies to diplomatic relations, to business and trade as well as when it comes to security and other international relations that are important to Sweden.
There is a lot of discussion about misinformation right now – who is trying to influence the image of Sweden negatively?
It is not SI’s mission to analyse who is behind the attempts to influence how Sweden is perceived. SI’s mission is to follow and analyse the broad picture of Sweden – we do this, among other things, by following information flows about Sweden in the media and social media. Other authorities, e.g. The authority for psychological defence, identifies who may be behind possible attempts to influence how Sweden is perceived.
What is SI’s role when it comes to promoting Sweden abroad?
We produce analyses and reports on the image of Sweden. We do this through our own studies, monitoring the world around us and analysis and thereby build knowledge about specific issues and events that can affect the image of Sweden. SI is also responsible for Sweden’s official digital channels in several languages and produces communication material for Swedish embassies. We also work to create and strengthen relationships between Sweden and other countries, for example via scholarships, leadership programs and project support.
Do you want to know more about the image of Sweden or other SI’s activities? Contact us on 08-453 78 00 or si@si.se, alternatively SI’s press phone 08-410 186 72.