Sweden’s tax burden stands at 41.4 % of GDP – the 8th highest among 38 OECD countries (OECD average: 34.1 %).

Of these tax revenues, roughly 4 % goes to foreign aid – SEK 53 billion in 2026.

Unlike Americans, who voluntarily donate to causes they believe in, Swedes are forced to “give” through their tax bill. Politicians decide where the money goes.Yet it still leaks.In 2010, Johan af Donner, then communications director at the Swedish Red Cross, was sentenced to five years in prison for aggravated fraud and embezzlement of between 7.6 and 10 million kronor.In 2023, Nina von Krusenstierna was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for embezzling SEK 1.65 million from the charity Vid din sida, which helps the homeless.

At the same time, senior managers at Stockholms Stadsmission earn over one million kronor per year, while store employees in their second-hand shops receive unusually low wages.

Even worse, Swedish tax money has indirectly ended up with organisations linked to Hamas. In 2025, Minister for International Development Cooperation Benjamin Dousa revealed that aid had gone to the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), which has documented ties to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

When charity is mandatory, controlled by politicians, plundered by insiders, and partly ends up near terrorist organisations – it is hardly surprising that many Swedes are deeply sceptical about giving away their money.

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