Göteborg
- Share 2025
- 40.2 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +7.1 pp
- Immigration page
In depth · Göteborg
Immigration and foreign background in Göteborg
Key facts
Göteborg ranks 14 of 290 municipalities for Share of residents with a foreign background (2025).
Source: SCB BE0101Q2 · 2025
Göteborg ranks 1 of 49 in Västra Götalands län for Share of residents with a foreign background (2025).
Source: SCB BE0101Q2 · 2025
Latest statistics: 2024–2025 depending on indicator
Göteborg: 246,579 residents (40.2%) had a foreign background in 2025, out of 613,278 residents. Source: Statistics Sweden. Sweden, foreign background: 27.7%; difference +12.5 percentage points (2025). 182,813 residents were born abroad (29.8%, 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
Göteborg in brief
- Share with foreign background, 2025
- 40.2 %
- Change 2002–2025
- +14.6 pp
- Absolute change in percentage points.
- Sweden, 2025
- 27.7 %
- Difference: +12.5 pp.
- Rank (highest share = 1)
- 14 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 Göteborg with a foreign background. Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB), BE0101Q2. The 2025 observation uses the CKM disclosure-control method.
Foreign background — 2002: 25.6 %; 2003: 26.0 %; 2004: 26.4 %; 2005: 26.8 %; 2006: 27.3 %; 2007: 27.9 %; 2008: 28.6 %; 2009: 29.3 %; 2010: 29.9 %; 2011: 30.6 %; 2012: 31.1 %; 2013: 31.7 %; 2014: 32.4 %; 2015: 33.1 %; 2016: 34.0 %; 2017: 35.1 %; 2018: 36.1 %; 2019: 37.0 %; 2020: 37.5 %; 2021: 38.1 %; 2022: 39.1 %; 2023: 39.6 %; 2024: 39.9 %; 2025: 40.2 %
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
- Göteborg
- 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
181,235 people
29.8% of the population · 2024
Foreign-born = born outside Sweden (narrower than "foreign background").
Born in Sweden70.2 %(427,758)
Nordics excluding Sweden1.6 %(9,590)
Other Europe8.7 %(52,703)
Outside Europe19.5 %(118,942)
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)
- 36.5 %
- Received, 5 years
- 4,161
- 6.8 / 1000 (national 7.0)
- Vulnerable areas
- 8
- Swedish Police 2025
- Scenario / resident / yrAnalysis/model
- −101 kr
- Range −72 kr → −128 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
Areas per the Swedish Police 2025
- BergsjönParticularly vulnerable area
- HammarkullenParticularly vulnerable area
- HjällboParticularly vulnerable area
- LövgärdetParticularly vulnerable area
- BiskopsgårdenVulnerable area
- GårdstenVulnerable area
- Hisings BackaVulnerable area
- Tynnered / Grevegården / OpaltorgetVulnerable area
Swedish Police Authority · Situational report on vulnerable areas 2025.
Compare Göteborg with other municipalities
Göteborg is preselected. Add up to 5 other municipalities — or use the shortcuts for the top/bottom 5.
- Göteborg40.2 %
Göteborg — 2002: 25.6 %; 2003: 26.0 %; 2004: 26.4 %; 2005: 26.8 %; 2006: 27.3 %; 2007: 27.9 %; 2008: 28.6 %; 2009: 29.3 %; 2010: 29.9 %; 2011: 30.6 %; 2012: 31.1 %; 2013: 31.7 %; 2014: 32.4 %; 2015: 33.1 %; 2016: 34.0 %; 2017: 35.1 %; 2018: 36.1 %; 2019: 37.0 %; 2020: 37.5 %; 2021: 38.1 %; 2022: 39.1 %; 2023: 39.6 %; 2024: 39.9 %; 2025: 40.2 %
Max 6 municipalities. Source: SCB BE0101Q2 (UtlSvBakgGrov). · Göteborg
Göteborg 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.
Strömstad
- Share 2025
- 35.2 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +6.5 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Strömstad
Borås
- Share 2025
- 34.6 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +6.6 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Borås
Partille
- Share 2025
- 29.7 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +8.2 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Partille
Västra Götalands län
- Share 2025
- 28.0 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +5.7 pp
- Immigration page
Sweden
- Share 2025
- 27.7 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +5.5 pp
- Immigration page
Mölndal
- Share 2025
- 26.9 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +6.9 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Mölndal
Öckerö
- Share 2025
- 7.7 %
- Δ 2015→2025
- +2.0 pp
- Immigration page
- Immigration in Öckerö
| Municipality | Share 2025 | Δ 2015→2025 | Immigration page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Göteborg | 40.2 % | +7.1 pp | |
| Strömstad | 35.2 % | +6.5 pp | Immigration in Strömstad |
| Borås | 34.6 % | +6.6 pp | Immigration in Borås |
| Partille | 29.7 % | +8.2 pp | Immigration in Partille |
| Västra Götalands län | 28.0 % | +5.7 pp | |
| Sweden | 27.7 % | +5.5 pp | |
| Mölndal | 26.9 % | +6.9 pp | Immigration in Mölndal |
| Öckerö | 7.7 % | +2.0 pp | Immigration in Öckerö |
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
- 80.05 %
- Seats
- 81
- Valid votes
- 389,011
- Blank votes
- 2,982
| Party | Share | vs 2022 | Votes | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27.75 % | – | 107,957 | 23 | |
| 18.25 % | – | 70,988 | 15 | |
| 15.82 % | – | 61,549 | 13 | |
| 8.87 % | – | 34,498 | 7 | |
| 8.27 % | – | 32,155 | 7 | |
| 7.52 % | – | 29,263 | 6 | |
| 4.97 % | – | 19,349 | 4 | |
| 3.53 % | – | 13,714 | 3 | |
| 3.45 % | – | 13,436 | 3 | |
| Other parties (32) | 1.57 % | – | 6,102 | – |
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 Göteborg (2014–2022)
Everything about Göteborg
Schools, crime, economy, tax rate and elections are on the municipality's main page.
Open Göteborg municipality in figures →Frequently asked questions
›What share of the population in Göteborg has a foreign background?
In 2025, 40.2 % of the population in Göteborg had a foreign background according to Statistics Sweden (BE0101Q2) — 12.5 percentage points above 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 Göteborg have a foreign background?
246,579 residents of Göteborg 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 Göteborg changed since 2002?
The share has risen from 25.6 % (2002) to 40.2 % (2025), a change of +14.6 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 Göteborg 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