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Analysis · Second generation

Second generation — what the aggregates hide

Many of the challenges visible in statistics for persons with foreign background persist or intensify in the second generation. The data below is split by Swedish background, first generation (foreign-born) and second generation (born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents). Sources: the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå 2021:9), SCB, the Swedish National Agency for Education and the National Board of Health and Welfare.

The question this page answers

What does the data actually show for persons born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents — and where does it differ from both the Swedish reference and the foreign-born group?

At a glance

Key figures — the most important numbers on this page

Crime suspicion over-risk

3.2×

Brå 2021:9. 2nd gen vs Swedish ref.

Employment gap 20–64

−10 pp

SCB LFS 2024.

Income gap at age 30

−56 kSEK/yr

SCB STATIV 2022.

Share of population

≈ 11 %

SCB, narrow two-parent definition.

Crime suspicion

3,2×

over-risk vs Swedish ref. Brå 2021:9.

Employment gap

−10 pe

76% vs 86% Swedish ref. SCB AKU 2024.

Income gap at age 30

−56 tkr

326 vs 382 kSEK/yr. SCB STATIV 2022.

Snapshot · Three groups, three outcomes

Why look at the second generation separately?

For several central outcomes — crime suspicion, welfare support, school results — the over-representation does not decrease between the first and second generation. For crime it is even higher in the second generation according to Brå 2021:9. Aggregated statistics that lump the second generation together with the Swedish reference hide this.

Employment, ages 20–64

  • Swedish background86 %
  • First gen67 %
  • Second gen76 %

Source: SCB AKU 2024

Welfare support

  • Swedish background1.9 %
  • First gen9.8 %
  • Second gen4.2 %

Source: Socialstyrelsen 2023

Crime suspicion (over-risk)

  • Swedish background1.0×
  • First gen2.5×
  • Second gen3.2×

Source: Brå 2021:9

Crime suspicion — Brå 2021:9 main table

Over-risk after controlling for age and sex. Reference group = Swedish-born with two Swedish-born parents.

Crime suspicion — over-risk (all offences)

Swedish ref
1,0×
First gen
2,5×
Second gen
3,2×
Source
Brå 2021:9

Robbery — over-risk

Swedish ref
1,0×
First gen
4,1×
Second gen
5,7×
Source
Brå 2021:9

Violent crime — over-risk

Swedish ref
1,0×
First gen
2,3×
Second gen
2,8×
Source
Brå 2021:9

Theft offences — over-risk

Swedish ref
1,0×
First gen
2,9×
Second gen
3,3×
Source
Brå 2021:9

Sex offences — over-risk

Swedish ref
1,0×
First gen
2,1×
Second gen
1,8×
Source
Brå 2021:9

Share of all suspects

Swedish ref
≈ 45 %
First gen
≈ 38 %
Second gen
≈ 17 %
Source
Brå 2021:9 (befolkningsandel: 73/16/11 %)

Employment, education and income

The second generation's employment rate is closer to the Swedish reference than the first generation's — but a gap remains.

Employment rate, ages 20–64

Swedish ref
86 %
First gen
67 %
Second gen
76 %
Source
SCB AKU 2024

Unemployment, ages 20–64

Swedish ref
4,3 %
First gen
12,5 %
Second gen
7,8 %
Source
SCB AKU 2024

Share with tertiary education

Swedish ref
44 %
First gen
41 %
Second gen
39 %
Source
SCB Utbildningsregistret 2024

Median income at age 30 (kSEK/yr)

Swedish ref
382
First gen
287
Second gen
326
Source
SCB STATIV 2022

Welfare support at some point during year

Swedish ref
1,9 %
First gen
9,8 %
Second gen
4,2 %
Source
Socialstyrelsen 2023

School results

The second generation performs better than the first, but does not reach the Swedish reference. PISA results follow the same pattern.

Eligibility for upper-secondary (grade 9)

Swedish ref
89 %
First gen
65 %
Second gen
80 %
Source
Skolverket 2024

Meets requirements in Swedish

Swedish ref
95 %
First gen
70 %
Second gen
87 %
Source
Skolverket 2024

PISA score (mathematics, mean)

Swedish ref
501
First gen
428
Second gen
467
Source
Skolverket PISA 2022

Upper-secondary drop-out within 5 years

Swedish ref
13 %
First gen
28 %
Second gen
21 %
Source
Skolverket 2023

Vulnerable areas — where the generations concentrate

The Police situation report of June 2023 lists 59 areas (19 particularly vulnerable, 12 risk areas, 28 vulnerable). In these areas the share of persons with foreign background is on average 71 % — compared with the national average of 27 %.

Särskilt utsatt område

19 areas

Avg. foreign background: 80 %

Område där allmän obenägenhet att delta i rättsprocessen, svårighet för polisen att fullgöra sitt uppdrag, parallella samhällsstrukturer, religiös extremism och systematiska hot mot vittnen förekommer. Polisens högsta klassning.

Riskområde

12 areas

Avg. foreign background: 70 %

Område som inte uppfyller alla kriterier för särskilt utsatt, men där flera indikatorer (våldskapital, parallella strukturer, otrygghet) ligger på en sådan nivå att området riskerar att bli särskilt utsatt.

Utsatt område

28 areas

Avg. foreign background: 65 %

Geografiskt avgränsat område med låg socioekonomisk status och kriminell påverkan på lokalsamhället. Polisen har svårt att fullgöra sitt uppdrag i området.

Tjärna Ängar

Municipality
Borlänge
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
90 %
vs national
+63 pe

Rinkeby/Tensta

Municipality
Stockholm
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
89 %
vs national
+62 pe

Fittja

Municipality
Botkyrka
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
88 %
vs national
+61 pe

Rosengård

Municipality
Malmö
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
87 %
vs national
+60 pe

Husby

Municipality
Stockholm
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
86 %
vs national
+59 pe

Hjällbo

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
84 %
vs national
+57 pe

Hallunda/Norsborg

Municipality
Botkyrka
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
82 %
vs national
+55 pe

Ronna/Geneta/Lina hage

Municipality
Södertälje
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
82 %
vs national
+55 pe

Hovsjö

Municipality
Södertälje
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
81 %
vs national
+54 pe

Hammarkullen

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
80 %
vs national
+53 pe

Nydala/Hermodsdal/Lindängen

Municipality
Malmö
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
79 %
vs national
+52 pe

Vivalla

Municipality
Örebro
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
78 %
vs national
+51 pe

Norra Biskopsgården

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
78 %
vs national
+51 pe

Araby

Municipality
Växjö
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
76 %
vs national
+49 pe

Lövgärdet

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
75 %
vs national
+48 pe

Skäggetorp

Municipality
Linköping
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
74 %
vs national
+47 pe

Bergsjön

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
72 %
vs national
+45 pe

Hageby/Navestad

Municipality
Norrköping
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
67 %
vs national
+40 pe

Gottsunda/Valsätra

Municipality
Uppsala
Category
Särskilt utsatt område
Foreign background
64 %
vs national
+37 pe

Alby

Municipality
Botkyrka
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
82 %
vs national
+55 pe

Vårby gård

Municipality
Huddinge
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
78 %
vs national
+51 pe

Norrby/Hässleholmen

Municipality
Borås
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
75 %
vs national
+48 pe

Valsta/Steninge

Municipality
Sigtuna
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
72 %
vs national
+45 pe

Råslätt

Municipality
Jönköping
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
72 %
vs national
+45 pe

Kronogården

Municipality
Trollhättan
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
72 %
vs national
+45 pe

Fröslunda/Skiftinge

Municipality
Eskilstuna
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
70 %
vs national
+43 pe

Drottninghög/Dalhem

Municipality
Helsingborg
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
70 %
vs national
+43 pe

Andersberg

Municipality
Halmstad
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
65 %
vs national
+38 pe

Jordbro

Municipality
Haninge
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
64 %
vs national
+37 pe

Andersberg

Municipality
Gävle
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
60 %
vs national
+33 pe

Skogås/Östra Skogås

Municipality
Huddinge
Category
Riskområde
Foreign background
55 %
vs national
+28 pe

Kroksbäck/Holma

Municipality
Malmö
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
80 %
vs national
+53 pe

Gårdsten

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
78 %
vs national
+51 pe

Lindängelund

Municipality
Malmö
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
76 %
vs national
+49 pe

Södra Sofielund/Seved

Municipality
Malmö
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
75 %
vs national
+48 pe

Bredäng/Sätra/Skärholmen

Municipality
Stockholm
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
73 %
vs national
+46 pe

Kista

Municipality
Stockholm
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
72 %
vs national
+45 pe

Akalla

Municipality
Stockholm
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
70 %
vs national
+43 pe

Rannebergen

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
70 %
vs national
+43 pe

Östra Bergsjön

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
70 %
vs national
+43 pe

Araby Park (övriga)

Municipality
Växjö
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
70 %
vs national
+43 pe

Hagsätra/Rågsved

Municipality
Stockholm
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
68 %
vs national
+41 pe

Klockaretorpet

Municipality
Norrköping
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
67 %
vs national
+40 pe

Fagersjö

Municipality
Stockholm
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
65 %
vs national
+38 pe

Lagersberg/Råbergstorp

Municipality
Eskilstuna
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
65 %
vs national
+38 pe

Ryd

Municipality
Linköping
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
65 %
vs national
+38 pe

Söder/Närlunda

Municipality
Helsingborg
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
65 %
vs national
+38 pe

Kyrkbyn/Länsmansgården

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
62 %
vs national
+35 pe

Hässelby gård

Municipality
Stockholm
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
60 %
vs national
+33 pe

Tureberg/Edsberg

Municipality
Sollentuna
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
60 %
vs national
+33 pe

Brandbergen

Municipality
Haninge
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
60 %
vs national
+33 pe

Brickebacken/Oxhagen

Municipality
Örebro
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
60 %
vs national
+33 pe

Karlslund

Municipality
Landskrona
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
60 %
vs national
+33 pe

Kortedala

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
60 %
vs national
+33 pe

Tynnered/Opaltorget

Municipality
Göteborg
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
60 %
vs national
+33 pe

Stenhagen/Eriksberg

Municipality
Uppsala
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
55 %
vs national
+28 pe

Kungsmarken

Municipality
Karlskrona
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
55 %
vs national
+28 pe

Rönninge/Salem centrum

Municipality
Salem
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
50 %
vs national
+23 pe

Kronoparken

Municipality
Karlstad
Category
Utsatt område
Foreign background
50 %
vs national
+23 pe

Sources: Police situation report on vulnerable areas (June 2023), SCB DeSO statistics, Delmos final report 2023. Foreign background = foreign-born or Swedish-born with two foreign-born parents. Police definition ↗

The hidden reference group

  • SCB's register definition. A person born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents is classified as "Swedish-born with foreign background". In KI's net contribution study they are counted in the "Swedish-born" group — the reference group everyone else is measured against. The second generation's net is therefore never reported separately.
  • Brå's report standardises for age and sex. The over-risks 2.5× (first generation) and 3.2× (second generation) in Brå 2021:9 are standardised for age and sex. Socio-economic controls (income, education, neighbourhood) are reported in older studies and reduce the over-risk without eliminating it. That the second generation is higher than the first is an observation in the data — explanations (segregation, socio-economics, family background) are discussed separately.
  • School results only partially converge. The second generation performs better than the first — but the gap to the Swedish reference remains, especially in maths and science. Skolverket points to residential segregation as a main explanation (PISA 2022).

Interaktiv jämförelse

Så räknar andra länder — och hur mycket det ändrar siffran

Det finns ingen internationell standard för vem som är "andra generationen". Länder räknar olika, och samma verklighet ger då olika siffror. Justera antagandena nedan — de förvalda värdena är SCB:s uppgifter för Sverige 2024 — och se hur "andra generationens" andel av befolkningen förändras beroende på vilken definition som används.

Med dessa antaganden varierar "andra generationen" mellan 8.5 % och 17.0 % av befolkningen — beroende på definition.

  • 🇸🇪 Sverige · SCB

    Inrikes född med utländsk bakgrund

    8.5 %

    Född i Sverige med båda föräldrarna utrikes födda. Personer med en utrikes född förälder räknas som 'svensk bakgrund'.

    SCB Befolkningsstatistik
  • 🇳🇴 Norge · SSB

    Norskfødte med innvandrerforeldre

    8.5 %

    Född i Norge med två utrikes födda föräldrar och fyra utrikes födda mor- och farföräldrar. Nästan identisk med SCB.

    SSB — Innvandrere og norskfødte med innvandrerforeldre
  • 🇩🇰 Danmark · Danmarks Statistik

    Efterkommere

    10.9 %

    Född i Danmark där ingen av föräldrarna är både dansk medborgare och född i Danmark. Fångar även barn till invandrade som blivit medborgare.

    Danmarks Statistik — Indvandrere og efterkommere
  • 🇺🇸 USA · Pew Research / U.S. Census

    Second generation

    15.5 %

    Född i USA med minst en utrikes född förälder. Bred definition — inkluderar barn till 'blandade' familjer.

    Pew Research Center — Second-generation Americans
  • 🇳🇱 Nederländerna · CBS (tidigare)

    Allochtoon, tweede generatie

    15.5 %

    Född i Nederländerna med minst en förälder född utomlands. CBS bytte 2022 till en 'härkomst'-baserad definition, men den gamla används fortfarande i mycket forskning.

    CBS — Herkomst
  • 🇩🇪 Tyskland · Destatis

    Migrationshintergrund (2. Generation)

    17.0 %

    Född i Tyskland med minst en förälder som invandrat efter 1950 eller är utländsk medborgare. Bredast av alla — omfattar även vissa vidare släktled.

    Destatis — Bevölkerung mit Migrationshintergrund
Formlerna är förenklade approximationer för att illustrera skillnaden mellan definitionerna. Danmarks +35 % av "en förälder"-gruppen speglar att medborgarskap (inte födelseland) är kriteriet; Tysklands +1,5 procentenhet speglar att äldre släktled och utländska medborgare vid födsel också ingår. För exakta officiella tal, se respektive myndighet.
Not om DK: Formeln här är bredare än DK-toggeln på Sverigekartan. Där jämförs bara "indvandrere + efterkommere" mot SCB (×0,98). Här utökar vi till medborgarskapskriteriet, vilket ger högre värden.

What does the data show?

Objective observations — not interpretations

  • For several central outcomes (crime suspicion, welfare support, school results) the gap versus the Swedish reference does not shrink between the first and second generation.
  • Employment and school results are better in the second generation than in the first — but the gap to the Swedish reference persists.
  • Crime suspicion (Brå 2021:9): the 3.2× over-risk in the second generation is standardised for age and sex, not for education, income or neighbourhood.
  • The second generation is heavily concentrated in areas the police classify as vulnerable — but the group is not homogeneous; origin and neighbourhood produce large variation.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to what is most often discussed

This page uses SCB's register definition: person born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents. Persons with one foreign-born and one Swedish-born parent fall in "mixed/Swedish background" — not the second generation. The definition matters: the narrow two-parent definition (~11 % of the population) gives different numbers than a wider one with at least one foreign-born parent (~18 %).

Logical next steps if you want to understand the background

How the figures should — and should not — be interpreted

  • The analyses are static cross-sectional or lifecycle calculations based on register data.
  • Indirect and dynamic effects (wages, employment of the native-born, growth, innovation, crime, housing market, etc.) are not included.
  • Future outcomes are uncertain and rely on assumptions about employment, incomes and welfare consumption.
  • The net contribution improved markedly from 2017 onwards — lower refugee inflow, better integration and continued labour migration.
  • Refugees' contribution is strongly negative for the first 10–15 years, turns positive after about 15–30 years, and negative again after about 40 years due to pensions.

This is not a full socioeconomic analysis – only an estimate of direct public revenues and expenditures.

Further: Crime · Long-run consequences · Sources