Definitions · method
Sweden, Denmark and Germany define migration and foreign background differently. The difference determines who falls inside or outside the category — and therefore how large the population share becomes. Each country's official definition is shown here, with source, version and what may be compared.
Short answer: the definitions differ in three ways — whether citizenship is included, how many parents are required, and whether there is a cut-off date for immigration. A definitional difference can therefore change a population measure, but it can never be used to derive crime, costs or net contribution figures.
The texts below follow each statistical agency's own wording. The shares refer to each country's own population and are taken from the publication indicated.
SCB — Statistiska centralbyrån
Persons with a foreign background are those born abroad and those born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents.
Danmarks Statistik (DST)
Immigrants: persons born abroad where neither parent is both a Danish citizen and born in Denmark. Descendants: persons born in Denmark where neither parent is both a Danish citizen and born in Denmark. Persons of Danish origin: persons — regardless of birthplace — with at least one parent who is both a Danish citizen and born in Denmark.
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)
The definition covers all persons who either themselves (immigrants) or whose both parents (descendants of immigrants) immigrated to present-day Germany since 1950.
A person has a migration background if they themselves or at least one parent was not born with German citizenship. Broader than both Einwanderungsgeschichte and Sweden's foreign background: one parent suffices, and the criterion is citizenship at birth rather than country of birth. Not directly comparable with Swedish or Danish figures. Published in parallel with the newer Einwanderungsgeschichte concept since 2023. The two measures cover different populations.
Destatis — Glossar: Migrationshintergrund ↗The table shows who is counted, how the second generation is handled and the share each agency publishes. The shares refer to different populations and different reference periods — they are not the same measure taken three ways.
| Country | Who is counted? | Second generation | Share of pop. | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | Persons born abroad or Persons born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents | Only when both parents are foreign-born. Persons with one Swedish-born and one foreign-born parent are classed as having a Swedish background. | 27,7 % · 2025 | SCB — Personer med utländsk bakgrund (MIS 2002:3) ↗ |
| Denmark | Indvandrere (born abroad per the criterion above) or Efterkommere (born in Denmark to two parents who do not both meet the Danish-citizen-and-born-in-Denmark criterion) | Yes — 'efterkommere' (descendants) are reported as their own group, but only when neither parent is both a Danish citizen and born in Denmark. | 14,4 % · 1 januari 2022 | Danmarks Statistik — definition av indvandrere, efterkommere og personer med dansk oprindelse (2024-09-20) ↗ |
| Germany | Persons who themselves immigrated to Germany since 1950 or Persons born in Germany whose BOTH parents immigrated since 1950 | Yes — but only when BOTH parents immigrated since 1950. The third generation is not included. | 25,6 % · 2024 | Destatis — Hintergrundpapier: Einwanderungsgeschichte ↗ |
Switch between countries in the box below. The definition changes the explanation and shows the country's own published population share. Swedish values are never converted to another definition — neither population, crime nor costs. Such a conversion would require separate, verified data that has not been published.
Definition · choose country
🇸🇪 Sweden · Persons born abroad or Persons born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents
Population with foreign background
2,94miljoner
Swedish definition (SCB)
Number of persons (millions) per SCB's definition. Applies to Sweden and is not converted.
Share of Sweden's population
27,7%
Swedish definition (SCB)
Share with foreign background per SCB's definition.
What it means
Based solely on country of birth. Citizenship is not part of the criterion.
Share of the population according to the country's own statistics
27,7 % (2025) — refers to Sweden's population.
Second generation
Only when both parents are foreign-born. Persons with one Swedish-born and one foreign-born parent are classed as having a Swedish background.
The definitions are not conversion keys. Shares refer to each country's own population and own statistical definition. Swedish outcome figures — crime, costs, net contribution or welfare dependency — are never converted to another definition; such comparisons require separate, verified data.
Baseline (SE definition): 2.94 million with foreign background (Statistics Sweden, foreign background 2025: 2,936,843 people) · 27.7% of the population (SCB). Crime and cost measures are not included: they cannot be derived from a definition's breadth.
Method rule
The definitions are not conversion keys. Shares refer to each country's own population and own statistical definition. Swedish outcome figures — crime, costs, net contribution or welfare dependency — are never converted to another definition; such comparisons require separate, verified data.
Further: Crime · Second generation · Other countries · Method
