How has Sweden changed — and what do the numbers say?
We start as broadly as possible: Sweden 1990 vs Sweden 2025. Then we zoom in on demographics — big cities, municipalities, language at home, religion and social trust. Finally the tools to see for yourself (your municipality, maps) and the outward perspective — how other countries do it.
Overview
Sweden then and now (1990 → 2025)
Population, composition, economy, crime, schools. A compilation showing the magnitude of change.
Read moreHistorical comparison (then vs now)
Side-by-side comparisons of everyday life: safety, schools, healthcare, housing. Sources on every figure.
Read moreDemographic change
SCB data on foreign-born and second generation over time. Pyramid and time series for the whole period.
Read morePensions & demographics
Public debt is low (~32% of GDP) — the dependency ratio is the challenge. SCB projection to 2070.
Read moreHousing & rent control
8.8-year queue in Stockholm 2024. Rent control — motives and critique without resolving the debate.
Read moreBig cities then and now
Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö — how the composition has changed neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Read moreDemographics by municipality
All 290 municipalities — foreign-born share, development 2000–2024 and projection.
Read moreSwedish as mother tongue
Share of pupils with Swedish as mother tongue in compulsory school, by municipality and over time. Skolverket data.
Read moreIslam in Sweden
Pew, SST and SCB-based estimates of Muslim population over time — why the numbers vary and which range is reasonable.
Read moreMosques
Number of mosques, funding and denominations. What SST grant statistics show.
Read moreSocial trust
SOM Institute measurements. How high Swedish trust has developed — overall and broken down by domain.
Read moreSchools & PISA
PISA development 2000–2022 against the Nordics. Including National Audit Office report on pupils excluded from the 2018 measurement.
Read moreYour municipality
Look up your own municipality — population, economy, crime and vulnerable areas in one report.
Read moreMunicipal reality
What it means in the municipal budget — social services, schools, income support. NIER model by immigration reason.
Read moreMaps & data
Interactive Sweden maps: demographics, net cost, vulnerable areas. Click for full municipal report.
Read moreHistory 1983–2022
Long time series on immigration, asylum and net contribution. Turning points and political decisions in one.
Read moreOther countries
Comparative figures for Denmark, Norway, Germany, Netherlands — net contribution and employment.
Read moreOther countries — how they do it
Policy and rules in comparable countries: language requirements, support requirements, citizenship, family migration.
Read moreGender dysphoria in adolescents (healthcare 13–17)
National Board of Health incidence data for girls 13–17. The shift toward caution: Karolinska 2021, SBU 2022, Cass 2024.
Read more