Demographics of Sweden
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Ethnicity
Beside the Swedes, the Sweden-Finns are the largest ethnic minority comprising approximately 50,000 indigenous people along the Swedish-Finnish border, and 450,000 first- and second generation immigrated ethnic Finns. Also in the farthest North a small indigenous population of Samis live (sometimes referred to as "Lapps", which, however, is considered a pejorative term by the Sami).Language
Even though Sweden (similar to the United States) has no official language, Swedish dominates totally. The indigenous Finno-Ugric languages were repressed well into the 1960s. Since 1999 Sweden has five officially recognized minority languages: Sami, Meänkieli, Standard-Finnish, Romani chib and Yiddish. The Sami language, spoken by about 7,000 people in Sweden, may be used in government agencies, courts, preschools and nursing homes in the municipalities of Arjeplog, Gällivare, Jokkmokk and Kiruna and its immediate neighbourhood. Similary, Finnish and Meänkieli can be used in the municipalities of Gällivare, Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala and Övertorneå and its immediate neighbourhood.The largest minority languages are those spoken by immigrants, the most popular of which are Finnish, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Arabic, Persian, Spanish, English, Sorani and Somalian.http://www.integrationsverket.se/tpl/NewsPage____1038.aspx
Emigration
In the 19th century Sweden had a yearly population growth peaking at 1.2% – i.e. a doubling in less than 60 years, compared to 1% – today (migration excluded). This led, before the Industrial Revolution as it was, to a pauperization of the rural population, for each generation inheriting smaller and smaller shares. Following years of crop failures in the 1840s and 1860s, the U.S. Homestead Act of 1862, and to a lesser extent religious persecution, emigration started and grew. Between 1850 and 1930 1,050,000 Swedes emigrated (re-migration excluded), chiefly to Canada, USA and to Denmark. If they hadn't left, Sweden's population would have been about 2,000,000 higher today, given that famine and civil war hadn't been the outcome of their staying. (After 1929 the net-migration has been directed towards Sweden.)The re-migration of Swedish nationals from USA was culturally more important than the absolute figures reveal. The re-migrants often re-settled in their native parish, where their relative wealth and foreign experience ensured a prestigious position in the community. US views, values and not the least world-view followed the re-migrants, ensuring a popular perception of closeness to USA, contrary to the situation in for instance neighbouring Denmark or Finland (and contrary to the Swedish elite's closeness to Germany and Europe).
Immigration
| Origin | Foreign-born inhabitants (2004) |
|---|---|
| Finland | 186,600 |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 74,600 |
| Iraq | 70,000 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 54,500 |
| Iran | 54,000 |
| Norway | 45,000 |
| Poland | 43,500 |
| Denmark | 41,700 |
| Germany | 40,800 |
| Turkey | 35,000 |
| Chile | 27,700 |
| Lebanon | 21,100 |
| United Kingdom | 16,800 |
| Thailand | 16,300 |
| Syria | 16,200 |
| USA | 15,300 |
| Somalia | 15,300 |
| Hungary | 13,700 |
| India | 12,900 |
| Romania | 12,500 |
| Vietnam | 12,000 |
| People's Republic of China | 11,900 |
| Ethiopia | 11,200 |
| Greece | 10,800 |
| Rest of Scandinavia | 277,100 |
| Western Europe | 106,400 |
| Eastern Europe | 326,100 |
| Former Soviet Union | 37,800 |
| Middle East | 223,700 |
| Rest of Asia | 91,700 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 51,000 |
| North America | 26,500 |
| South America | 55,500 |
| Oceania | 3,500 |
| Total Foreign-Born | 1,199,300 |
| Data as of December 2004 | |
Immigration increased markedly with World War II. Soon 70,000 war children were evacuated from Finland, of which 15,000 remained in Sweden. Until 1973 work-force immigration dominated, peaking in the late 1960s. The largest immigrant groups are Sweden-Finns and peoples from the former Yugoslavia representing both work-force immigration and war refugees. Migration triggered by political crises include refugee groups of Persians, Kurds, Palestinians, Jews, Vietnamese, Chileans and Hungarians.
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1989)
3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
2 migrants/1,000 population (1993)
3 migrants/1,000 population (1994)
2.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995)
2.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996)
1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997)
1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998)
1.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999)
0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000)
0.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001)
0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002)
1.00 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003)
1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004)
1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005)
1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006)
Religion
The majority (78%) of the population belongs to the Church of Sweden, the Lutheran church separated from the state in 2000. Other Christian denominations in Sweden include Roman Catholic (see Catholic Church of Sweden), Orthodox, and Baptist. Some of the Sami practise Animism. Due to refugee immigration, there are also a number of Muslims in Sweden. See also Muslims in Europe, Jewish, Buddhist. An estimated 5% of the population attend church.Statistics
According to Statistiska centralbyrån (Statistics Sweden), Sweden's population reached 9,000,000 on August 12, 2004. See the [Swedish population web counter].
- Population: 8,875,053 (July 2001 est.)
- Population growth rate: 0.02% (2001 est.)
- Population growth: Averaging 1 person/15 minutes
- Birth rate: 9.91 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
- Death rate: 10.61 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
- Net migration rate: 0.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
- Total fertility rate: 1.53 children born/woman (2001 est.)
- Infant mortality rate: 3.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth: 79.71 years
- *Male: 77.07 years
- *Female: 82.5 years (2001 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 18.19% (male 828,308; female 786,353)
- 15-64 years: 64.53% (male 2,911,949; female 2,814,730)
- 65 years and over: 17.28% (male 649,296; female 884,417) (2001 est.)
Total Fertility Rate
1950 2.32 children born/woman
1980 1.68 children born/woman
- Year Total Fertility Rate
- 1989 1.70
- 1990 1.90
- 1991 1.90
- 1992 1.90
- 1993 1.90
- 1994 2.04
- 1995 2.00
- 1996 1.97
- 1997 1.70
- 1998 1.76
- 1999 1.83
- 2000 1.53
- 2001 1.53
- 2002 1.54
- 2003 1.54
- 2004 1.66
- 2005 1.66
- 2006 1.66
Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
- total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Literacy
- definition: age 15 and over can read and write
- total population: 99% (1979 est.)
See also
References
External links
- [Statistics Sweden] - Official statistics
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