Was watching a show and all the doors on Scandinavian houses
opened out and most English doors opened in. There is no
universal code that dictates inward or outward.
Most reasoning shows that opening in allows hinges on the inside
so thieves cannot simply remove a pin and gain entry. On the
flip side, a high percentage of home invasions and burglaries
begin with the intruder kicking in a door. That is virtually
impossible when the door swings outward. Current exterior doors
designed to open outward include protected hinges.
In public buildings and offices doors open in so as to not
disrupt hallway traffic.
Three most popular reasons for outward doors are - There is a
legend that during the 19th century some king decreed that all
external doors should open outwards after many people were
killed in a church fire. Another explanation is that apartments
in Sweden were at one time very small. Another explanation is
the cold winters opening the doors inwards would let in snow and
when winds push against outward-opening doors the weather seal
functions better. Florida, US communities are now accepting the
concept of outward opening doors as an advantage, especially
during hurricanes.
Incidentally, room design typically determines the left or
right swing designation for doors. An inward opening door
should swing in the direction needed to provide adequate
passage. Interior pocket doors solve all these problems.