En ny studie, ”Redistribution and the Individualism–Collectivism Dimension of Culture”, finner att individualism kan ta sig olika form i hög- och låginkomstländer:

Perhaps surprisingly, countries with more individualistic cultures have significantly greater income redistribution and lower after-tax income inequality. … The association between individualism and redistribution is driven by higher-income countries, which appear to be influenced by a distinct strain of individualism. Data from the World Values Survey reveals that in higher income countries, individualism is positively correlated with generalized trust and tolerance of outsiders and negatively correlated with belief in traditional gender roles. In lower income countries, individualism is associated with a stronger emphasis on self-reliance and the benefits of competition.

Denna kategorisering av två typer av individualism kan kanske passa bra ihop med Henrik Berggrens och Lars Trägårdhs idé om den svenska statsindividualismen, men också med Andreas Berghs betoning av den svenska välfärdsstaten som liberal i de flesta avseeenden men med stor omfattning och med ambitiösa mål om omfördelning.