Relatives of labour immigrants from third countries, 2020–2023
Low employment rate among accompanying partners of labour immigrants
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2025-10-02 8.00
A third of labour immigrants from countries outside the EU/EEA who came to Sweden in 2023 had their partner with them. Among accompanying partners who immigrated in 2022, just under four out of ten were employed the following year.
This is shown in a new report that Statistics Sweden has produced within the framework of the cross-agency government assignment "Work in Sweden", about attracting, establishing and retaining international expertise. Part of the government assignment is to improve the conditions for family members of labour immigrants for establishing themselves in Sweden.
The majority of partners of labour immigrants were women
In 2023, 2,600 partners and 2,500 children of labour immigrants immigrated. Of the partners, 78 per cent were women and 22 per cent were men.
- Among labour immigrants, about a third of the men and a quarter of the women brought their partner to Sweden, while about a fifth of both sexes had accompanying children, says analyst Malin Forsberg.
The median age of the partners was 33 years, and women were slightly younger than men. India was the country from which the highest proportion of partners came.
Low proportion of women working
- Among those who immigrated in 2022, just over 90 percent of the partners remained in Sweden a year later. Among these, 58 per cent of men were employed, compared with 34 per cent of women," says Malin Forsberg.
The most common industry that the partners worked in was Computer programming, consultancy and related activities, followed by Accommodation; food and beverage service activities.
High unemployment among accompanying women
Partners of labour immigrants from third countries who immigrated in 2022 and who are estimated as remaining in the country in 2023. Labour market status 2023
| Labour market status | Share in per cent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Women | Men | ||
| Employed | 39 | 34 | 58 | |
| Unemployed | 19 | 20 | 13 | |
| Student | 7 | 7 | 3 | |
| Pensioner | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Other | 34 | 38 | 26 | |
| Total | 3 334 | 2 642 | 687 | |
Source: Statistics Sweden
Among women, it was more common than among men to be unemployed. It was also common for women to neither work nor be registered as jobseekers with the Swedish Public Employment Service. Among these, the majority lacked their own income from Sweden, and we can assume that some were supported by the labour immigrant they had come with. Some had received compensation for parental leave during the year.
The majority of children nine years old or younger
Children of labour immigrants were young, and just over 70 per cent were nine years or younger. Just under half were of pre-school age, half of primary and lower secondary school age and a small group of upper secondary school age.
Of the children who immigrated in 2022, 91 percent remained in Sweden the following year, and 88 percent of them were enrolled in preschool or school. The highest proportion of enrolments was found among children of compulsory school age (6–15 years). In this age group, 9 out of 10 were enrolled in the school system. The proportion registered of the total population of the same age was slightly higher, just over 94 per cent.
Definitions and explanations
Partners and children of labour immigrants are included in the statistics
The statistics describe labour immigrants from countries outside the EU/EEA, so-called third countries, who moved to Sweden with a partner and children, during the period 2020–2023. The statistics also describe these partners and children. The statistics only include persons registered in the population register, i.e. persons who intend, and have the right, to stay in Sweden for at least one year.
Employment
For partners, employment is reported in the year following the registration in the population register. The data is retrieved from Statistics Sweden's longitudinal integration database for health insurance and labour market studies (LISA) and is based on data in the statistics on the Population's labour market status BAS.
A person classified as employed according to BAS has received a payment of compensation for work during the month of November. In order to be classified as unemployed in these statistics, the person must either receive benefits from unemployment insurance or be registered as a jobseeker with the Swedish Public Employment Service.
Children's participation in education
Children's participation in education is measured on October 15th of the year after population registration and includes participation in preschool, primary school and secondary school.
Statistics are adjusted for errors in the population register
The statistics have been adjusted for suspected over-coverage in the population register. In the calculation of remaining presence, employment and participation in education, only persons who are believed to be remaining in Sweden are included.
Employment and participation in education and training may be underestimated
The estimation of which persons are assumed to remain is based on the person being registered in the population register on December 31st and living in a household that has had income during the year. No consideration is given to when in the year the income was earned. This may mean that the remaining presence in the autumn of the current year is overestimated. We can assume that families to some extent adapt their stay abroad in Sweden to their children's school years. Partners' employment data refer to the month of November and children's schooling refers to the measurement week that falls on October 15th. There is a risk that the proportion of partners with employment status Other is overestimated if they moved from Sweden before November. Similarly, the proportion of children who do not participate in Swedish preschool or school can be overestimated if the child has already moved from Sweden during the autumn of the year in question.
Publication
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.