MigrantoImmigrants in Sweden
2M foreigners live in Sweden — 19% of the country's population
Immigrants in Sweden by country
The 3 largest groups make up 26% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Syria | 243388 |
| Iraq | 150470 |
| Finland | 129139 |
| Poland | 102889 |
| Iran | 89047 |
| Afghanistan | 79353 |
| Somalia | 74146 |
| India | 62598 |
| Bosnia | 60819 |
| Eritrea | 59751 |
| Turkey | 58113 |
| Germany | 56910 |
| Thailand | 47636 |
| Ukraine | 45259 |
| China | 40898 |
| Norway | 39914 |
| Romania | 38394 |
| Denmark | 37372 |
| United Kingdom | 34445 |
| Pakistan | 31536 |
| Lebanon | 30587 |
| Chile | 27831 |
| Russia | 26376 |
| USA | 26172 |
| Ethiopia | 24644 |
| Vietnam | 23055 |
| Greece | 21838 |
| Serbia | 20194 |
| Lithuania | 19476 |
| Philippines | 17955 |
| Italy | 16955 |
| Hungary | 16739 |
| Netherlands | 15864 |
| Bangladesh | 15502 |
| Spain | 15166 |
| France | 14381 |
| Colombia | 14267 |
| Brazil | 14151 |
| Croatia | 14041 |
| Morocco | 13437 |
| South Korea | 12163 |
| Egypt | 12132 |
| Albania | 11986 |
| North Macedonia | 11796 |
| Latvia | 11474 |
| Bulgaria | 11009 |
| Sudan | 10016 |
| Sri Lanka | 9514 |
| Estonia | 9461 |
| Palestine | 9407 |
| Nigeria | 9397 |
| Peru | 8735 |
| Saudi Arabia | 8610 |
| DR Congo | 7671 |
| Mongolia | 6866 |
By region of origin
39% of immigrants come from Europe
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Key facts
Immigrants in Sweden in numbers
People born in Syria are the fastest-growing group
The number of people born in Syria living in Sweden has grown 198% since 2015, from 81.8K to 243.4K.
71% of all emigrants from Finland live in Sweden
No other country has more people born in Finland.
Immigration drives population growth
64% of the population growth of Sweden since 1990 came from immigrants.
The map of origins has changed since 1990
8 countries have entered the top 20 origins since 1990: Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia. Syria climbed from outside the top 20 to #1.
The share of immigrants from Europe has declined since 1990
70.5% of immigrants came from Europe in 1990, compared with 38.7% today.
Immigrants come from a wider range of countries than in 1990
The largest group's share fell from 30% to 12%.
Immigrant population in Sweden over time
Foreigners living in Sweden, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 734027 |
| 1995 | 799050 |
| 2000 | 864322 |
| 2005 | 947769 |
| 2010 | 1159819 |
| 2015 | 1394389 |
| 2020 | 1751159 |
| 2024 | 2020945 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in Sweden, by year
| Year | Syrians | Iraqis | Finns | Poles | Iranians |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5643 | 9646 | 218888 | 35078 | 39569 |
| 1995 | 8971 | 24127 | 206860 | 39056 | 48225 |
| 2000 | 13819 | 46268 | 196304 | 40019 | 50875 |
| 2005 | 16479 | 71123 | 185076 | 44907 | 54136 |
| 2010 | 20163 | 120037 | 170856 | 68952 | 61064 |
| 2015 | 81758 | 130939 | 157247 | 83640 | 68746 |
| 2020 | 192662 | 146282 | 142468 | 93744 | 80749 |
| 2024 | 243388 | 150470 | 129139 | 102889 | 89047 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in Sweden
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in Sweden
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in Sweden?
Around 2M immigrants live in Sweden — the world's #34 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of Sweden are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 19% of the population of Sweden — that's 2M out of a total population of 10.6M.
Where do most immigrants in Sweden come from?
Most immigrants in Sweden come from Syria, Iraq and Finland — these three countries account for about 26% of all immigrants.
How many Syrians live in Sweden?
Around 243.4K Syrians live in Sweden — about 12% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in Sweden growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in Sweden has grown from 1.4M to 2M, about 45%.
Where does the data on immigrants in Sweden come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in Sweden. Their children born in Sweden are not included.
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Living in Sweden
See the full country overview