If you're a reader of international media, or a traveller, you have probably seen that in report after report Sweden is called the 'best' place to live or that it's one of the healthiest places to live. Sweden is, in fact, one of my personal favourite places to visit.

All that lifestyle goodness had me wondering - do the Swedes take out life insurance at the same rate as other countries that are…well, less healthy? What I discovered surprised me. The Swedes are showing that even with their satisfying and healthy lives, they too want attractive (and competitive) life insurance. What's more, with some changes to their market in the last decade, they are snapping it up at mind-boggling rates.

Mintel's Global Market Navigator report last month showed that over the past five years, more international competition within the Swedish market is effecting positive growth for life insurance.

This is normally the point when I would rattle off some numbers to explain what I mean. But instead, I'm going to show you the following graph, which paints it all for me.

As you can see, Sweden in 2005 had massive growth (I don't think saying 'explosion' would be going too far there) in the life insurance market. 25% growth, in fact. Now that slowed right down in 2006, but look at the next few years and the projections for 2010-2014. 2009 had 12% growth and then a projected steady 6%-7% for the next 5 years.