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In depth · Strömstad

Immigration and foreign background in Strömstad

Latest statistics: 2024–2025 depending on indicator

Strömstad: 4,774 residents (35.2%) had a foreign background in 2025, out of 13,557 residents. Source: Statistics Sweden. 3,887 residents were born abroad (28.7%, 2025). Sweden: 27.7%; difference +7.5 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

Strömstad in brief

Share with foreign background, 2025
35.2 %
Change 2002–2025
+16.7 pp
Absolute change in percentage points.
Sweden, 2025
27.7 %
Difference: +7.5 pp.
Rank (highest share = 1)
24 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 Strömstad 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: 18.5 %; 2003: 18.9 %; 2004: 19.8 %; 2005: 20.4 %; 2006: 21.0 %; 2007: 21.5 %; 2008: 22.1 %; 2009: 22.5 %; 2010: 23.2 %; 2011: 24.3 %; 2012: 25.4 %; 2013: 26.5 %; 2014: 27.7 %; 2015: 28.8 %; 2016: 30.1 %; 2017: 31.0 %; 2018: 31.7 %; 2019: 32.4 %; 2020: 33.0 %; 2021: 32.9 %; 2022: 33.7 %; 2023: 34.5 %; 2024: 34.8 %; 2025: 35.2 %
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
Strömstad
Unit
%
Retrieved/verified
2026-10-11
  1. Open the original source and find the same table or report.
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  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
3,838 people
28.5% of the population · 2024
Foreign-born = born outside Sweden (narrower than "foreign background").
Born in Sweden71.5 %(9,644)
Nordics excluding Sweden10.6 %(1,428)
Other Europe5.4 %(733)
Outside Europe12.4 %(1,677)
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)
38.1 %
Received, 5 years
89
6.6 / 1000 (national 7.0)
Vulnerable areas
—
Swedish Police 2025
Scenario / resident / yrAnalysis/model
−98 kr
Range −70 kr → −124 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 Strömstad with other municipalities →

Compare Strömstad with other municipalities

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

  • Strömstad35.2 %
0%20%40%60%80%100%20022005200820112014201720202023Strömstad
Strömstad — 2002: 18.5 %; 2003: 18.9 %; 2004: 19.8 %; 2005: 20.4 %; 2006: 21.0 %; 2007: 21.5 %; 2008: 22.1 %; 2009: 22.5 %; 2010: 23.2 %; 2011: 24.3 %; 2012: 25.4 %; 2013: 26.5 %; 2014: 27.7 %; 2015: 28.8 %; 2016: 30.1 %; 2017: 31.0 %; 2018: 31.7 %; 2019: 32.4 %; 2020: 33.0 %; 2021: 32.9 %; 2022: 33.7 %; 2023: 34.5 %; 2024: 34.8 %; 2025: 35.2 %

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

Strömstad vs neighbours

Nearest municipalities plus county and national averages.

Strömstad

Share 2025
35.2 %
Δ 2015→2025
+6.5 pp
Immigration page

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

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 Strömstad

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

Municipal election 2026

Final · Source: Valmyndigheten
Turnout
74.40 %
Seats
39
Valid votes
7,817
Blank votes
124
Result per party, municipal council election 2026
PartySharevs 2022Seats
29.76 %–12
18.13 %–7
15.97 %–6
11.95 %–5
7.10 %–3
5.97 %–2
5.59 %–2
5.35 %–2
Other parties (6)0.19 %––

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 Strömstad (2014–2022)

Open Strömstad on the mapAll 290 municipalities →

Everything about Strömstad

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

Open Strömstad municipality in figures →

Frequently asked questions

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

In 2025, 35.2 % of the population in Strömstad had a foreign background according to Statistics Sweden (BE0101Q2) — 7.5 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 Strömstad have a foreign background?

4,774 residents of Strömstad 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 Strömstad changed since 2002?

The share has risen from 18.5 % (2002) to 35.2 % (2025), a change of +16.7 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 Strömstad 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