8 out of 10 have become Swedish citizens

Statistics Sweden (SCB) publishes annual statistics on the number of people who have acquired Swedish citizenship. These statistics are typically presented only in tabular form. This report follows individuals who immigrated to Sweden between 2010 and 2013 and examines whether those who remained in Sweden in 2025 had acquired Swedish citizenship.

In this report, immigrants are classified into four groups based on their ground for settlement:

• Refugees and their accompanying family members
• Labour migrants and students, including family members of workers
• Other family immigrants
• EU/EEA citizens and individuals who immigrated to Sweden holding long-term resident status in another EU/EEA countries

7 out of 10 still in Sweden in 2025

Between 2010 and 2013, 315 000 foreign nationals immigrated. Citizens of EU/EEA member states and persons holding long-term resident status in another EU/EEA country represented the largest group, accounting for 35 % of all immigrants. Labour migrants and students constituted the smallest group.

Of the foreign citizens who immigrated in the early 2010s, 31 percent have emigrated or died. Those who arrived as refugees are the most likely to remain in Sweden, while those who came for work or study are the least likely to remain.

The report focuses on those who were still registered in Sweden in 2025.

Those who remained were, to a large extent, Swedish citizens

Of those who remained in Sweden, about 80 percent have become Swedish citizens, while 20 percent were not Swedish citizens. Those who became Swedish citizens did so after just under seven years.

There are certain differences between those who have become Swedish citizens and those who have not.

Women and younger people were more likely to be Swedish citizens

It was more common for women to be Swedish citizens than for men to be, with 82 and 76 percent respectively having acquired Swedish citizenship. Among those who had immigrated to work and study, there was almost no difference between women and men.

Those who were under the age of 18 when they immigrated were, to a large extent, Swedish citizens in 2025, nearly 85 percent. More than 90 percent of refugees who arrived as children had Swedish citizenship. Among EU/EEA citizens who immigrated to Sweden as children, 66 percent were Swedish citizens in 2025.

Individuals who were 50 years or older when they immigrated were Swedish citizens to a lesser extent. Of all older foreign citizens who immigrated in the early 2010s, 69 percent have acquired a Swedish citizenship. It is especially older people who are EU/EEA citizens who have not changed their citizenship, of them, 38 percent were Swedish citizens in 2025.

Men with a Swedish citizenship were more likely to live with a partner 

Among individuals who immigrated as adults, the most common living arrangement was to live with a partner. This pattern was observed among both men and women, regardless of whether they were Swedish or foreign citizens. Among women, there were only minor differences between Swedish and foreign citizens. Among men, however, the differences were more substantial. 70 percent of men who had become Swedish citizens lived with a partner, compared with just over 50 percent of men who had not changed citizenship.