MigrantoSwedish Diaspora
223.5K Swedes live abroad — 2% of the population of Sweden
Swedish diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 53% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Norway | 53689 |
| Finland | 39331 |
| Denmark | 26460 |
| Spain | 22685 |
| Australia | 11508 |
| Switzerland | 10012 |
| Poland | 6855 |
| Canada | 6411 |
| Italy | 5953 |
| Greece | 5870 |
| Iceland | 3559 |
| Belgium | 3319 |
| Malta | 2439 |
| Hungary | 2192 |
| Japan | 1820 |
| Luxembourg | 1687 |
| Serbia | 1572 |
| Israel | 1528 |
| China | 1427 |
| Chile | 1366 |
| Portugal | 1035 |
| Estonia | 970 |
| Cyprus | 961 |
| Egypt | 930 |
| Libya | 842 |
| Brazil | 715 |
| South Africa | 710 |
| Bulgaria | 707 |
| Argentina | 609 |
| Lithuania | 585 |
| Croatia | 560 |
| Mexico | 465 |
| Botswana | 461 |
| Peru | 405 |
| Panama | 387 |
| Slovenia | 384 |
| Slovakia | 372 |
| Bolivia | 363 |
| Belarus | 329 |
| Colombia | 323 |
| Latvia | 250 |
| Costa Rica | 198 |
| Liberia | 164 |
| Montenegro | 149 |
| Sri Lanka | 131 |
| Namibia | 110 |
| Venezuela | 101 |
| Faroe Islands | 99 |
| Greenland | 84 |
| Dominican Republic | 82 |
| Andorra | 54 |
| Guatemala | 54 |
| Maldives | 40 |
| El Salvador | 35 |
| Nicaragua | 34 |
| Honduras | 32 |
| Bahamas | 31 |
| Liechtenstein | 27 |
| Bhutan | 23 |
| Central African Republic | 13 |
| Guinea | 1 |
| Romania | 0 |
By region
86% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Swedish diaspora in numbers
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
4 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Poland, Malta, Hungary. Poland climbed from outside the top 20 to #7.
Swedish diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 114669 |
| 1995 | 121543 |
| 2000 | 139034 |
| 2005 | 153310 |
| 2010 | 177468 |
| 2015 | 190827 |
| 2020 | 200769 |
| 2024 | 223508 |
Largest communities over time
Swedes living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Norway | Finland | Denmark | Spain | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 20429 | 26043 | 17329 | 6097 | 5265 |
| 1995 | 23219 | 24814 | 17724 | 7410 | 6156 |
| 2000 | 33401 | 23584 | 19076 | 8936 | 7099 |
| 2005 | 32760 | 27840 | 18939 | 14898 | 8566 |
| 2010 | 41604 | 30966 | 20655 | 18184 | 10039 |
| 2015 | 49068 | 30578 | 22222 | 17741 | 11485 |
| 2020 | 48283 | 33412 | 24507 | 18761 | 11728 |
| 2024 | 53689 | 39331 | 26460 | 22685 | 11508 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Swedes in each country has changed since the selected year
Swedes among immigrants in other countries
Where Swedes make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Swedes live outside Sweden?
Around 223.5K Swedes live abroad, the world's #130 largest diaspora.
Where do most Swedes abroad live?
Most Swedes live in Norway, Finland and Denmark — these three countries account for about 53% of all Swedes living abroad.
Which country has the largest Swedish population outside Sweden?
Norway is home to the largest Swedish community abroad — 53.7K people, about 24% of all Swedes living abroad.
What share of the population of Sweden lives abroad?
About 2% of the population of Sweden lives abroad — that's 223.5K out of a total population of 10.6M.
Is the Swedish diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Swedes living abroad has grown from 190.8K to 223.5K, about 17%.
Where does the data on the Swedish diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Sweden who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in Sweden
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