Interactive glossary

Statistics Sweden's standard definition: a person has foreign background if born abroad or if both parents are born abroad. Persons with one foreign-born parent count as Swedish background.

All residents born outside Sweden regardless of citizenship or parents' origin. Distinct from foreign citizens (which measures citizenship, not country of birth).

Prohibition under the Instrument of Government Ch. 12 §2: a minister or the government may not decide how an administrative authority shall rule in an individual case involving public authority or application of law.

Persons granted residence permits as persons in need of protection, quota refugees or their family members, subsequently received by a municipality under the Settlement Act (2016:38). Counted per year and municipality.

The municipality's total cost for an activity (e.g. schools, elderly care) minus targeted revenues (fees, earmarked state grants). Matches what is financed by tax and general state grants.

A primary source is the original document: an SCB table, a Brå report, a peer-reviewed article, an administrative decision. News articles and think tanks are secondary sources even when they cite primary sources.

The Radiotjänst licence fee was replaced in 2019 by an individual public service fee, collected via tax and paid by all adults with taxable income. Approx. 1,300 SEK/year (2024).

Ratio of risk (suspicion, offence, mortality, unemployment) in one group to a reference group. A value of 2.5 means 2.5× the reference risk – not 250% higher.

Years from residence permit until half of a refugee cohort earns above the threshold. Statistics Sweden and Delmi report 7–9 years for cohorts arriving in the 2000s.

The Swedish Police's classification of areas with low socio-economic status where criminals influence the local community. Three levels: vulnerable, risk, particularly vulnerable. Updated in the Lägesbild report.