Sweden is now just 60% Swedish, with the remaining 40% either born overseas or from a foreign background, new official statistics show.
According to data released by Statistics Sweden on Friday, the country’s population rose by 36,000 last year to 10,587,710, but the increase was entirely made up of people with a foreign background while the Swedish-background population decreased by 8,200.
As of the end of 2024, 27.5% of the population were either foreign-born or born in Sweden to two foreign-born parents, while another 7.9% had one foreign-born parent.
Those who are “third generation” – the children of Sweden-born parents with foreign background – bring to total to 40%, Swedish-language media outlet Fria Tider reported.
Sweden does not collect statistics on ethnicity.
The foreign-born 2,200,238 include 208,421 from other Nordic countries, 254,011 from Africa and 857,879 from Asia.
As of December 31, there were 831,800 foreign citizens living in Sweden – 8% of the population. Poles were the largest group of foreign citizens, followed by citizens of Afghanistan and Syria. The largest relative increase was for citizens of Ukraine.
In 2024 12% of the 63,000 people granted Swedish citizenship were Syrian citizens, down 3,500 on the previous year to 7,600.
To be granted Swedish citizenship foreigners must have lived in Sweden for five years, or four years for refugees.
Sweden’s birth rate also hit 1.4 in 2024 – its lowest level since measurements began in 1749.
The statistics come after the Swedish government announced in September it would pay immigrants up to US$34,000 to leave the country voluntarily as part of a remigration plan from the right-wing Swedish Democrats.
