Labour migrants in Sweden are among the most likely to leave

Foreign workers and students leave Sweden at much higher rates than other immigrant groups. A report from Statistics Sweden reveals that nearly half leave within a decade.

The official statistics agency tracked foreign citizens who moved to Sweden between 2010 and 2013. They reviewed their status as of 2025. Over that period, 315,000 foreign citizens immigrated to Sweden. Overall, 72 percent of these immigrants remained in the country. Furthermore, 58 percent of the total group obtained Swedish citizenship. Meanwhile, 27 percent left the country or died.

The outcome looks very different for labour migrants and students. Only 53 percent of people in these groups remained in Sweden by 2025. The remaining 47 percent emigrated or passed away. Among those who stayed, 79 percent became Swedish citizens. The remaining 21 percent did not acquire citizenship after more than ten years.

The agency divided immigrants into four main categories for this research. Refugees and their family members were the most likely to get citizenship. On the other hand, citizens from the European Union were the least likely to naturalise. The findings come from a report published by Statistics Sweden, as reported by The Local.