Study: Swedish men sensitive and lazy

While Swedish men are more willing to accept their role in raising children than men in other parts of Europe, they can't seem to be bothered to do much about it, according to a new study.

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Unsurprisingly, Swedish men rank the highest in Europe when it comes to equality between the sexes, with 78 percent agreeing that a man can raise a child just as well as a woman, reports the Göteborgs-Posten newspaper.

The results come from a study ordered by media company Discovery Networks in order to learn more about the attitudes of their male viewers and involved a survey of 12,000 men in 15 countries.

Nearly two-thirds of Swedish men also believe it’s more important for fathers to provide emotional support than economic support.

However, the study also reveals that Sweden’s sensitive, new-age men may have shed the Protestant work ethic behind the traditional stereotype of the stoic, hard-working Swede who puts his head down and does what is necessary to complete the task at hand.

Only 63 percent of Swedish men agreed that “The most important thing for me is to support my family”, the lowest figure recorded in Europe.

Furthermore, only 35 percent reported that staying in shape is a priority, again the lowest among men from other European countries included in the study.

And more Swedish men, 35 percent, also see going on holiday as an excuse to do nothing when compared to men from elsewhere in Europe.

The study also confirmed some broader trends that European men in the 25- to 39-year-old demographic are delaying the traditional milestones of adult life, such as having children, purchasing a home, and becoming economically independent from their parents.