There is a lack of coordinated statistics for all foreign-born adults on participation and results from education in Sweden and on their establishment in the labour market, which also includes people who have not participated in education in Sweden. To provide such an overall picture of participation in education, study results and labour market outcomes, Statistics Sweden has conducted a register study among foreign-born persons aged 16–65 based on existing statistics. The report shows how participation in education and academic results differ between different population groups.

"Of the foreign-born people, 80 percent have a registered participation in some form of education in Sweden. The proportion who have participated in education is higher for women than for men, 86 and 75 percent respectively," says Annica Wallerå, education statistician at Statistics Sweden.

Statistics Sweden's register of participation in education contains information on participation in various forms of education within the Swedish education system dating back to 1995. For just over 340,000 persons, there is no information about participation in education. Many of them have lived in Sweden for a relatively short time; over 40 percent have immigrated in the last five years. Almost 20 percent of those without information on educational participation immigrated more than 30 years ago. They may therefore have participated in education in Sweden, but earlier than what is covered in the register of the population's participation in education. Among the older people, there is a larger proportion who have lived in Sweden for a long time and for whom we may therefore lack educational data.

Over 90 percent of foreign-born people aged 16–24 have participated in some form of education in Sweden. 85 percent of them have participated in education at upper secondary or post-secondary level. The proportion who have participated in an upper secondary or post-secondary education is at a markedly lower level for those over 24 years of age and decreases with increasing age.

The proportion of people who have information about participation in some form of education decreases with increasing age. One reason is that a larger proportion have come to Sweden to work and have completed their education before immigrating. This applies especially to people up to the age of 54.

Having only participated in Swedish for Immigrants (sfi) is most common among people aged 35–44, while having studied post-secondary education in Sweden is most common among those aged 25–34.

60 percent were established in the labour market

Of the foreign-born adults, 60 percent were established in the labour market. In addition, just under 20 percent participated in some form of education and just over 20 percent were neither established in the labour market nor in education.

The 20 percent who are neither established nor in studies are a heterogeneous group with different employments and livelihoods. Among them, 30 percent are employed, but with a lower income than what is required to be classified as established, and almost 20 percent are unemployed. A large group of them, 37 percent, do not have information about labour market status. For example, they may be supported by someone else, supported by capital income or have left the country.