The Swedish Prime Minister, Geran Persson, has used the analogy of a bumblebee to describe the success of the Swedish welfare state, saying "Think of a bumblebee. With its overly heavy body and little wings, supposedly it should not be able to fly, but it does." Drawing on its continued surveillance of the economic policies of IMF member states, this book examines the Swedish model and considers both its achievements and the challenges facing it in the 21st century. It also seeks to draw lessons from the Swedish experience for other countries that face similar challenges from developments in globalisation and demographics.