Sweden
- Share 2025
- 27.7 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +5.5 pp
- Immigration page
In depth · Gävle
Immigration and foreign background in Gävle
Key facts
Gävle ranks 90 of 290 municipalities for Share of residents with a foreign background (2025).
Source: SCB BE0101Q2 · 2025
Gävle ranks 2 of 10 in Gävleborgs län for Share of residents with a foreign background (2025).
Source: SCB BE0101Q2 · 2025
Latest statistics: 2024–2025 depending on indicator
Gävle: 23,919 residents (23.0%) had a foreign background in 2025, out of 104,108 residents. Source: Statistics Sweden. Sweden, foreign background: 27.7%; difference −4.7 percentage points (2025). 18,065 residents were born abroad (17.4%, 2025).
Foreign background means born abroad or born in Sweden to two foreign-born parents. These are population stocks, not annual immigration flows.
Last updated: View changelog
Gävle in brief
- Share with foreign background, 2025
- 23.0 %
- Change 2002–2025
- +12.3 pp
- Absolute change in percentage points.
- Sweden, 2025
- 27.7 %
- Difference: −4.7 pp.
- Rank (highest share = 1)
- 90 of 290
- Same definition and year (2025) for all ranked municipalities.
Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB), BE0101Q2 — observed population composition (stock). People received further down are a flow and measure something else. Stock vs flow
Trend 2002–2025
Share of the population in Gävle with a foreign background. Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB), BE0101Q2. The 2025 observation uses the CKM disclosure-control method.
Foreign background — 2002: 10.7 %; 2003: 11.0 %; 2004: 11.3 %; 2005: 11.6 %; 2006: 12.0 %; 2007: 12.5 %; 2008: 13.1 %; 2009: 13.8 %; 2010: 14.4 %; 2011: 14.6 %; 2012: 15.2 %; 2013: 16.1 %; 2014: 17.2 %; 2015: 17.7 %; 2016: 18.4 %; 2017: 19.1 %; 2018: 19.7 %; 2019: 20.4 %; 2020: 21.0 %; 2021: 21.5 %; 2022: 21.7 %; 2023: 22.0 %; 2024: 22.5 %; 2025: 23.0 %
How to verify this figure
- Source
- Statistics Sweden (SCB)
- Period
- 2025
- Definition
- Share of the population with a foreign background (born abroad, or born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents).
- Geography
- Gävle
- Unit
- %
- Retrieved/verified
- 2026-10-11
- Open the original source and find the same table or report.
- Select the same period, geography and unit as above.
- Compare the definition — for own calculations, recompute with the formula.
Country/region of birth (2024)
Residents by region of birth, 2024. This block uses 2024 data and may differ in year from the introduction above. Foreign-born are persons born outside Sweden. Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB), FolkmRegFlandK.
Country of birth
2024
Foreign-born residents
17,623 people
17.0% of the population · 2024
Foreign-born = born outside Sweden (narrower than "foreign background").
Born in Sweden83.0 %(86,215)
Nordics excluding Sweden1.4 %(1,507)
Other Europe3.4 %(3,474)
Outside Europe12.2 %(12,642)
Thin line = national average. Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB), FolkmRegFlandK.
People received, vulnerable areas & marginal cost
Received 2020–2024 (a flow), the Police's vulnerable areas and a own illustrative scenario.
Reception & illustrative scenario
2020–2024
- Foreign-born (20–64)
- 22.8 %
- Received, 5 years
- 545
- 5.2 / 1000 (national 7.0)
- Vulnerable areas
- —
- Swedish Police 2025
- Scenario / resident / yrAnalysis/model
- −78 kr
- Range −56 kr → −99 kr
- Model: Ruist (ESO 2018:3; calculations based on 2015 public finances), unadjusted amount from the report (low/mid/high)
Analysis/model Own illustrative scenario: mean annual reception 2020–2024 × Ruist’s national refugee life-cycle estimate using 2015 public finances, divided by 2024 population; no price adjustment. Assumes the national estimate applies locally. Not an observed municipal cost; not everyone with a foreign background. Formula, assumptions and limitations
No vulnerable areas in this municipality according to the Swedish Police situational report 2025.
Compare Gävle with other municipalities →Compare Gävle with other municipalities
Gävle is preselected. Add up to 5 other municipalities — or use the shortcuts for the top/bottom 5.
- Gävle23.0 %
Gävle — 2002: 10.7 %; 2003: 11.0 %; 2004: 11.3 %; 2005: 11.6 %; 2006: 12.0 %; 2007: 12.5 %; 2008: 13.1 %; 2009: 13.8 %; 2010: 14.4 %; 2011: 14.6 %; 2012: 15.2 %; 2013: 16.1 %; 2014: 17.2 %; 2015: 17.7 %; 2016: 18.4 %; 2017: 19.1 %; 2018: 19.7 %; 2019: 20.4 %; 2020: 21.0 %; 2021: 21.5 %; 2022: 21.7 %; 2023: 22.0 %; 2024: 22.5 %; 2025: 23.0 %
Max 6 municipalities. Source: SCB BE0101Q2 (UtlSvBakgGrov). · Gävle
Gävle vs nearby municipalities
Nearest municipalities (distance between municipal centre points) and municipalities in the same county with a similar share, plus county and national averages. Not all share a border with the municipality.
Sandviken
- Share 2025
- 23.3 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +5.3 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Sandviken
Gävle
- Share 2025
- 23.0 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +5.3 pp
- Immigration page
Älvkarleby
- Share 2025
- 19.3 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +2.7 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Älvkarleby
Gävleborgs län
- Share 2025
- 18.3 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +3.8 pp
- Immigration page
Hofors
- Share 2025
- 17.6 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +0.7 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Hofors
Ockelbo
- Share 2025
- 15.9 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +2.5 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Ockelbo
Söderhamn
- Share 2025
- 15.7 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +2.8 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Söderhamn
| Municipality | Share 2025 | Δ 2015→2025 | Immigration page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 27.7 % | +5.5 pp | |
| Sandviken | 23.3 % | +5.3 pp | Immigration in Sandviken |
| Gävle | 23.0 % | +5.3 pp | |
| Älvkarleby | 19.3 % | +2.7 pp | Immigration in Älvkarleby |
| Gävleborgs län | 18.3 % | +3.8 pp | |
| Hofors | 17.6 % | +0.7 pp | Immigration in Hofors |
| Ockelbo | 15.9 % | +2.5 pp | Immigration in Ockelbo |
| Söderhamn | 15.7 % | +2.8 pp | Immigration in Söderhamn |
Foreign background, all ages/sexes. County and national shares: own ratios of SCB published geographic counts; change 2015–2025 in percentage points. CKM method break 2025; subgroup cells may not sum to the published total. SCB
Municipal election 2026
Final · Source: Valmyndigheten- Turnout
- 82.86 %
- Seats
- 65
- Valid votes
- 68,052
- Blank votes
- 815
| Party | Share | vs 2022 | Votes | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32.14 % | – | 21,874 | 21 | |
| 21.03 % | – | 14,313 | 14 | |
| 18.93 % | – | 12,885 | 12 | |
| 8.59 % | – | 5,846 | 6 | |
| 5.61 % | – | 3,815 | 4 | |
| 4.80 % | – | 3,265 | 3 | |
| 4.57 % | – | 3,111 | 3 | |
| 3.05 % | – | 2,076 | 2 | |
| Other parties (21) | 1.27 % | – | 867 | – |
Latest actual election: 13 September 2026 (final count). Turnout figures in Kolada series elsewhere on this page refer to an earlier election and are labelled with their series year.
Full municipal election result →Results by voting district →
Earlier election results in Gävle (2014–2022)
Everything about Gävle
Schools, crime, economy, tax rate and elections are on the municipality's main page.
Open Gävle municipality in figures →Frequently asked questions
›What share of the population in Gävle has a foreign background?
In 2025, 23.0 % of the population in Gävle had a foreign background according to Statistics Sweden (BE0101Q2) — 4.7 percentage points below the national average (27.7 %). "Foreign background" is the broader Statistics Sweden definition and includes both people born abroad and people born in Sweden to two foreign-born parents. The share is a stock measure and does not show annual immigration (inflow).
›How many residents of Gävle have a foreign background?
23,919 residents of Gävle had a foreign background (2025). Source: Statistics Sweden, UtlSvBakgGrovCKM, published count. CKM-protected component cells need not sum exactly to the published total.
›How has the share with a foreign background in Gävle changed since 2002?
The share has risen from 10.7 % (2002) to 23.0 % (2025), a change of +12.3 percentage points. Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB), BE0101Q2.
›What is the difference between "foreign background" and "born abroad"?
Born abroad = a person born outside Sweden. Foreign background = born abroad, or born in Sweden to two foreign-born parents. Both measures are official; foreign background is at least as large for the same population and year.
›Where were the foreign-born residents of Gävle born?
See the "Country/region of birth" section on this page. Foreign-born residents are people born outside Sweden, reported in three aggregated groups: the Nordic countries excluding Sweden, the rest of Europe, and outside Europe. Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB), FolkmRegFlandK.
Sources and method
BE0101Q2Foreign/Swedish background — share by municipality (UtlSvBakgGrov)Reference period: 2002–2025 · Retrieved: 2026-10-11
Open source ↗FodelselandArKCKM / FolkmRegFlandKCKM; history FodelselandArKPopulation by region, region/country of birth and sexReference period: 2000–2025 · Retrieved: 2026-10-11
Open source ↗BE0101N1Population by municipality, age, sex and year (31 Dec)Reference period: 2002–2025 · Retrieved: 2026-08-13
Open source ↗- Open source ↗
ME0104General elections — votes per party and municipality (Election Authority via SCB)
Each figure on this page is traceable to the dataset listed above. Missing data is left out — never shown as zero. Definitions, model and sources