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Migration, childbearing, and mortality among persons born 1970–2018 based on parents’ country of birth

Persons with foreign born parents more likely to emigrate

Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2020-03-05 9.30

The proportion of persons who emigrate varies based on their parents’ country of birth, and is largest among persons with two foreign born parents. A new report from Statistics Sweden examines certain demographic differences among Swedish born persons based on their parents’ country of birth, with regard to matters such as childbearing, emigration, mortality.

Statistics Sweden produces a projection of Sweden’s population every year. Assumptions are made on the future development of childbearing, migration and mortality among foreign born persons and Swedish born persons. A question at issue concerns whether or not assumptions on the Swedish born population should take into account parents’ country of birth, as a growing number of people have foreign born parents.

Growing number of people with parents born outside Europe

The proportion of newborn infants with at least one foreign born parent more than doubled, from 16 percent to 38 percent, between 1970 and 2018. At the same time, the structure of the group of persons with foreign born parents has changed. The number of persons with parents born in the Nordic countries has declined and the number of persons with parents born in Europe or the rest of the world has increased.

Persons with one or two foreign born parents, born 1970–2018, by parents’ country of birth

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Major differences in emigration rates

Among young adults, persons with two foreign born parents are more likely to emigrate than persons with Swedish born parents. There are also differences between women and men born in different years. Young women are more likely to emigrate than young men. Among persons born in the 1970s, it was increasingly common to emigrate and among those born in the late 1970s, emigration was most common. Among Swedish born persons born in the 1980s with two Swedish born parents, emigration rates remained constant. On the other hand, it has become less common among young people with two foreign born parents to emigrate.

Emigration numbers summed up, 18–29 year-olds born 1989, by sex and parents’ country of birth

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Foreign born partner common if parents are foreign born

For persons who cohabit with a partner, it is more common that the partner is foreign born among persons with two foreign born parents than among persons with at least one Swedish born parent. Among women with two Swedish born parents, 80 percent have a partner whose parents are also both Swedish born. The corresponding figure among persons with two foreign born parents is 37 percent. Such differences based on the partner’s background are greater among persons born in the late 1980s compared with those born in the early 1970s.

Distribution of partner’s background among cohabiting women and men, by parents’ country of birth. Born in 1985–1989, at the age of 27–29 years

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The report ‘Migration, childbearing, and mortality among persons born 1970–2018, based on parents’ country of birth’ describes differences based on parents’ country of birth with regard to various demographic behaviours and events, such as domestic migration, childbearing, mortality, and type of household.

Definitions and explanations

These statistics only examine persons born in Sweden between 1970 and 2018.

These statistics are produced with data from Statistics Sweden’s Population Register, the register on households and events, such as births, emigration, immigration, and deaths that are registered in the historical Population Register.

Publication

Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.

Statistical agency and producer

Statistics Sweden, Section for Coordination and Interdisciplinary Operations

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Örjan Hemström

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Lena Lundkvist

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