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In depth · Salem

Immigration and foreign background in Salem

Latest statistics: 2024–2025 depending on indicator

Salem: 6,202 residents (35.7%) had a foreign background in 2025, out of 17,370 residents. Source: Statistics Sweden. 4,198 residents were born abroad (24.2%, 2025). Sweden: 27.7%; difference +8.0 percentage points (2025).

Foreign background means born abroad or born in Sweden to two foreign-born parents. These are population stocks, not annual immigration flows.

Location of the municipality in Sweden

Last updated: View changelog

Salem in brief

Share with foreign background, 2025
35.7 %
Change 2002–2025
+17.9 pp
Absolute change in percentage points.
Sweden, 2025
27.7 %
Difference: +8.0 pp.
Rank (highest share = 1)
22 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 Salem with a foreign background. Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB), BE0101Q2. The 2025 observation uses the CKM disclosure-control method.

0%20%40%60%80%100%20022005200820112014201720202023Foreign background
Foreign background — 2002: 17.8 %; 2003: 18.1 %; 2004: 18.3 %; 2005: 18.4 %; 2006: 18.8 %; 2007: 19.2 %; 2008: 19.6 %; 2009: 20.2 %; 2010: 20.8 %; 2011: 21.3 %; 2012: 21.8 %; 2013: 22.7 %; 2014: 23.9 %; 2015: 25.3 %; 2016: 26.6 %; 2017: 27.9 %; 2018: 28.7 %; 2019: 29.7 %; 2020: 31.0 %; 2021: 32.3 %; 2022: 33.2 %; 2023: 34.1 %; 2024: 35.0 %; 2025: 35.7 %
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
Salem
Unit
%
Retrieved/verified
2026-10-11
  1. Open the original source and find the same table or report.
  2. Select the same period, geography and unit as above.
  3. Compare the definition — for own calculations, recompute with the formula.

Changelog

Country/region of birth

Residents by region of birth. Foreign-born are persons born outside Sweden. Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB), FolkmRegFlandK.

Country of birth
2024
Foreign-born residents
4,172 people
23.8% of the population · 2024
Foreign-born = born outside Sweden (narrower than "foreign background").
Born in Sweden76.2 %(13,335)
Nordics excluding Sweden2.4 %(415)
Other Europe7.0 %(1,232)
Outside Europe14.4 %(2,525)
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)
32.7 %
Received, 5 years
128
7.3 / 1000 (national 7.0)
Vulnerable areas
—
Swedish Police 2025
Scenario / resident / yrAnalysis/model
−108 kr
Range −78 kr → −137 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 Salem with other municipalities →

Compare Salem with other municipalities

Salem is preselected. Add up to 5 other municipalities — or use the shortcuts for the top/bottom 5.

  • Salem35.7 %
0%20%40%60%80%100%20022005200820112014201720202023Salem
Salem — 2002: 17.8 %; 2003: 18.1 %; 2004: 18.3 %; 2005: 18.4 %; 2006: 18.8 %; 2007: 19.2 %; 2008: 19.6 %; 2009: 20.2 %; 2010: 20.8 %; 2011: 21.3 %; 2012: 21.8 %; 2013: 22.7 %; 2014: 23.9 %; 2015: 25.3 %; 2016: 26.6 %; 2017: 27.9 %; 2018: 28.7 %; 2019: 29.7 %; 2020: 31.0 %; 2021: 32.3 %; 2022: 33.2 %; 2023: 34.1 %; 2024: 35.0 %; 2025: 35.7 %

Max 6 municipalities. Source: SCB BE0101Q2 (UtlSvBakgGrov). · Salem

Salem vs neighbours

Nearest municipalities plus county and national averages.

Stockholms län

Share 2025
37.2 %
Δ 2015→2025
+5.9 pp
Immigration page

Salem

Share 2025
35.7 %
Δ 2015→2025
+10.4 pp
Immigration page

Sweden

Share 2025
27.7 %
Δ 2015→2025
+5.5 pp
Immigration page

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

Most common countries of birth in Salem

Links to the national page for each country of birth. Source: SCB BE0101E.

Municipal election 2026

Final · Source: Valmyndigheten
Turnout
82.74 %
Seats
31
Valid votes
10,627
Blank votes
114
Result per party, municipal council election 2026
PartySharevs 2022Seats
32.17 %–10
22.53 %–7
10.91 %–4
9.26 %–3
7.61 %–2
6.02 %–2
4.49 %–1
3.28 %–1
2.64 %–1
Other parties (10)1.08 %––

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 Salem (2014–2022)

Open Salem on the mapAll 290 municipalities →

Everything about Salem

Schools, crime, economy, tax rate and elections are on the municipality's main page.

Open Salem municipality in figures →

Frequently asked questions

›What share of the population in Salem has a foreign background?

In 2025, 35.7 % of the population in Salem had a foreign background according to Statistics Sweden (BE0101Q2) — 8.0 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 Salem have a foreign background?

6,202 residents of Salem 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 Salem changed since 2002?

The share has risen from 17.8 % (2002) to 35.7 % (2025), a change of +17.9 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 Salem 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 sex

    Reference 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 ↗
  • ME0104General elections — votes per party and municipality (Election Authority via SCB)
    Open source ↗

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