As the capital of Scandinavia, Stockholm is pretty international; 197 nationalities international to be precise, which means that just about every nationality in the world is represented in this city. Nearly one in four of Stockholm’s residents was actually born outside Sweden.
Finns still dominate
Finns top the charts – a whopping 52 000 are settled in Stockholm. Bumping into someone from Andorra, Gibraltar or the Solomon Islands in town, however, is a bit more challenging. These are a few of the nations currently represented by just one officially registered person in Stockholm. Following the Finns, the top three groups of foreign born nationals come from Iraq (41 000) Poland (33 000) and Iran (27 000).
Top 10 countries of origin of foreign born nationals in Stockholm
1. Finland
2. Iraq
3. Poland
4. Iran
5. Turkey
6. Syria
7. Chile
8. Germany
9. China
10. Somalia
Both war and love refugees
Media attention has been largely focused on refugees and asylum seekers moving to Sweden, particularly in recent years. However, Sweden’s thriving economy has been a major attraction for many years with a large number moving to Sweden to work, including many from within the EU. Another more surprising factor is the number of “love refugees” in Sweden, often moving here to be with a Swedish partner met abroad. Canadian and Australian communities in Sweden, for example, are predominantly made up of of people who came here on that basis.
Changing trade patterns
In terms of trade, Sweden’s focus is still on Western Europe but this is likely to change as both other economies and the number of foreign born nationals from outside Europe in Sweden continue to grow. Another important factor that can influence change is that every third job in the private sector in the Stockholm region has been created by a company started by immigrants, according to statistics from SCB (Statistics Sweden), compiled by Visma.
Relocate to Sweden provides expert advice and hands-on help for companies recruiting internationally or transferring staff to Sweden. We make relocation easier. Email us at info@relocatetosweden.com or call us on +46 8 361011 if you would like help. You can also read more about our relocation services at www.relocatetosweden.com or follow us on social media for tips and advice.
