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Map · correlation

Vulnerable areas × foreign background

The Swedish Police's latest national assessment (2025) covers 65 vulnerable areas, of which 19 are particularly vulnerable. The interactive map further down covers all 59 areas in the 2023 assessment (table 18), cross-referenced with the share of residents with a foreign background (Statistics Sweden, DeSO) — all verifiable against the primary source.

Current national status: Police 2025. Map data: Polismyndigheten / Noa · juni 2023.

Police national assessment 2025

65
Vulnerable areas in total (2025)
19
Particularly vulnerable (2025)
46
Other vulnerable (2025)
74 %
Average foreign background in the 2023 map data (national 27 %)
The police removed the "risk area" category in the 2025 national assessment, and some larger areas were split geographically. The interactive area data further down this page is still based on the 2023 assessment (all 59 areas in 29 municipalities) and is therefore shown separately as historical map data. The police assessment 2025.

Historical map data 2023

The map data below contains 59 entries — one per area in the police's official 2023 assessment (table 18): 17 particularly vulnerable, 15 risk areas and 27 vulnerable. National totals for the current year should always be read from the 2025 assessment above.

Interactive map

Choropleth map of municipalities + vulnerable areas (2023)

The map shows the police's vulnerable areas as coloured dots on top of a municipal layer you choose yourself. Hovering shows the area's classification, municipality, share with a foreign background and the difference against the national figure. Geographic overlap between a municipal layer and the police list is not evidence of a causal relationship.

Lager

Marginal nettokostnad — nya mottagna 2020–2024

Mindre backStörre back
−43 kr/inv/år−543 kr/inv/år

Kommuner med litet flyktingmottagande per invånare hamnar nära noll (ljust). Kommuner med stort mottagande i förhållande till folkmängden hamnar mörkare. Färgtrösklarna är satta som kvintiler över alla 290 kommuner.

Öppna full karta →
Data source: SCB, municipality 20022025
Geodata: Statistics Sweden (open data) · Esri, HERE, Garmin · OpenStreetMap
Marginal nettokostnad — nya mottagna 2020–2024
Källa: Modell · 2025
−43 kr/inv/år−95 kr/inv/år−113 kr/inv/år−132 kr/inv/år−155 kr/inv/år−543 kr/inv/år

Comparison charts

Correlation and category averages

Correlation: foreign background × classification

per cent of residents · Sweden

One dot per police-classified area. The horizontal position shows the share of residents with a foreign background, the vertical position shows the police classification. The dots have a small deterministic vertical spread so that they do not overlap.

Correlation: foreign background × classification: Foreign background (%) moves from 86 (Husby) to 74 (Storvreten) — down 12 per cent of residents. Full values are available in the data table below (Sweden).

Vulnerable areaRisk areaParticularly vulnerable area
Correlation: foreign background × classification · per cent of residents · Sweden
AreaMunicipalityClassificationForeign background (%)
HusbyStockholmParticularly vulnerable area86
Rinkeby/TenstaStockholmParticularly vulnerable area89
Hallunda/NorsborgBotkyrkaParticularly vulnerable area82
FittjaBotkyrkaParticularly vulnerable area88
HovsjöSödertäljeParticularly vulnerable area81
Ronna/Geneta/LinaSödertäljeParticularly vulnerable area82
SkäggetorpLinköpingParticularly vulnerable area74
VivallaÖrebroParticularly vulnerable area78
BergsjönGöteborgParticularly vulnerable area72
HammarkullenGöteborgParticularly vulnerable area80
HjällboGöteborgParticularly vulnerable area84
LövgärdetGöteborgParticularly vulnerable area75
Nydala/Hermodsdal/LindängenMalmöParticularly vulnerable area79
RosengårdMalmöParticularly vulnerable area87
AlbyBotkyrkaParticularly vulnerable area82
NorrbyBoråsParticularly vulnerable area90,1
Hässleholmen/HultaBoråsParticularly vulnerable area67
GottsundaUppsalaRisk area64
Tjärna ÄngarBorlängeRisk area90
BiskopsgårdenGöteborgRisk area78
ArabyVäxjöRisk area76
Sigtuna/ValstaSigtunaRisk area72
Kronogården/Lextorp/SylteTrollhättanRisk area72
Dalhem/Drottninghög/FredriksdalHelsingborgRisk area70
TurebergSollentunaRisk area60
SöderHelsingborgRisk area65
Tynnered/Grevegården/OpaltorgetGöteborgRisk area60
Södra Sofielund (Seved)MalmöRisk area75
Holma/Kroksbäck/BellevuegårdenMalmöRisk area80
Oxhagen/VarbergaÖrebroRisk area83,3
FornhöjdenSödertäljeRisk area85,5
Rissne/HallonbergenSundbybergRisk area73,4
NavestadNorrköpingVulnerable area62,5
HagebyNorrköpingVulnerable area75
VårbyHuddingeVulnerable area78
SkogåsHuddingeVulnerable area55
Grantorp/VisättraHuddingeVulnerable area78,1
JordbroHaningeVulnerable area64
FröslundaEskilstunaVulnerable area80,5
SkiftingeEskilstunaVulnerable area61,8
ÅrbyEskilstunaVulnerable area80,1
RåslättJönköpingVulnerable area72
AndersbergHalmstadVulnerable area65
Hässelby/VällingbyStockholmVulnerable area60
BredängStockholmVulnerable area73
Hagsätra/RågsvedStockholmVulnerable area68
VårbergStockholmVulnerable area78,6
BrandbergenHaningeVulnerable area60
KarlslundLandskronaVulnerable area60
GårdstenGöteborgVulnerable area78
Hisings BackaGöteborgVulnerable area66
GamlegårdenKristianstadVulnerable area85,9
BäckbyVästeråsVulnerable area64,6
FinnstaUpplands-BroVulnerable area64,2
FisksätraNackaVulnerable area76,3
SaltskogSödertäljeVulnerable area74
SångvägenJärfällaVulnerable area53,1
HagalundSolnaVulnerable area59
StorvretenBotkyrkaVulnerable area74

Method: The relationship is descriptive, not causal: the chart shows covariation between two variables and says nothing about cause and effect. The classification is based on the Swedish Police's 2023 assessment and is shown here as historical map data.

Source: Polismyndigheten — Lägesbild över utsatta områden · SCB — Befolkning efter DeSO-område

Share with a foreign background: vulnerable areas vs Sweden

per cent of residents · Sweden

Average share of residents with a foreign background across the areas on the Swedish Police's historical 2023 list, compared with the national average of 27 % (dashed line).

Share with a foreign background: vulnerable areas vs Sweden: Average foreign background (%) moves from 73.7 (Vulnerable areas (2023 list)) to 27 (Sweden) — down 46.7 per cent of residents. Full values are available in the data table below (Sweden).

Share with a foreign background: vulnerable areas vs Sweden · per cent of residents · Sweden
GroupAverage foreign background (%)Number of areas
Vulnerable areas (2023 list)73,759
Sweden27290

Method: Unweighted mean — each area counts equally regardless of population. The area list is the Swedish Police's historical 2023 assessment; the share with a foreign background comes from Statistics Sweden's DeSO statistics. The list covers all 59 areas in the 2023 assessment. No category breakdown is shown, because the share for some areas is a district-level value rather than an official area-level value.

Source: Polismyndigheten — Lägesbild över utsatta områden · SCB — Befolkning efter DeSO-område

Full list

Areas in the 2023 map data — sortable and searchable

All 59 areas

Norrby

Borås
Particularly vulnerable area
90.1 %
+63 pp
Source (classification · share)

Tjärna Ängar

Borlänge
Risk area
90 % *
+63 pp
Source (classification · share)

Rinkeby/Tensta

Stockholm
Particularly vulnerable area
89 % *
+62 pp
Source (classification · share)

Fittja

Botkyrka
Particularly vulnerable area
88 % *
+61 pp
Source (classification · share)

Rosengård

Malmö
Particularly vulnerable area
87 % *
+60 pp
Source (classification · share)

Husby

Stockholm
Particularly vulnerable area
86 % *
+59 pp
Source (classification · share)

Gamlegården

Kristianstad
Vulnerable area
85.9 %
+59 pp
Source (classification · share)

Fornhöjden

Södertälje
Risk area
85.5 %
+59 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hjällbo

Göteborg
Particularly vulnerable area
84 % *
+57 pp
Source (classification · share)

Oxhagen/Varberga

Örebro
Risk area
83.3 %
+56 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hallunda/Norsborg

Botkyrka
Particularly vulnerable area
82 % *
+55 pp
Source (classification · share)

Ronna/Geneta/Lina

Södertälje
Particularly vulnerable area
82 % *
+55 pp
Source (classification · share)

Alby

Botkyrka
Particularly vulnerable area
82 % *
+55 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hovsjö

Södertälje
Particularly vulnerable area
81 % *
+54 pp
Source (classification · share)

Fröslunda

Eskilstuna
Vulnerable area
80.5 % *
+54 pp
Source (classification · share)

Årby

Eskilstuna
Vulnerable area
80.1 % *
+53 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hammarkullen

Göteborg
Particularly vulnerable area
80 % *
+53 pp
Source (classification · share)

Holma/Kroksbäck/Bellevuegården

Malmö
Risk area
80 % *
+53 pp
Source (classification · share)

Nydala/Hermodsdal/Lindängen

Malmö
Particularly vulnerable area
79 % *
+52 pp
Source (classification · share)

Vårberg

Stockholm
Vulnerable area
78.6 %
+52 pp
Source (classification · share)

Grantorp/Visättra

Huddinge
Vulnerable area
78.1 % *
+51 pp
Source (classification · share)

Vivalla

Örebro
Particularly vulnerable area
78 % *
+51 pp
Source (classification · share)

Biskopsgården

Göteborg
Risk area
78 % *
+51 pp
Source (classification · share)

Vårby

Huddinge
Vulnerable area
78 % *
+51 pp
Source (classification · share)

Gårdsten

Göteborg
Vulnerable area
78 % *
+51 pp
Source (classification · share)

Fisksätra

Nacka
Vulnerable area
76.3 %
+49 pp
Source (classification · share)

Araby

Växjö
Risk area
76 % *
+49 pp
Source (classification · share)

Lövgärdet

Göteborg
Particularly vulnerable area
75 % *
+48 pp
Source (classification · share)

Södra Sofielund (Seved)

Malmö
Risk area
75 % *
+48 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hageby

Norrköping
Vulnerable area
75 %
+48 pp
Source (classification · share)

Skäggetorp

Linköping
Particularly vulnerable area
74 % *
+47 pp
Source (classification · share)

Saltskog

Södertälje
Vulnerable area
74 %
+47 pp
Source (classification · share)

Storvreten

Botkyrka
Vulnerable area
74 %
+47 pp
Source (classification · share)

Rissne/Hallonbergen

Sundbyberg
Risk area
73.4 %
+46 pp
Source (classification · share)

Bredäng

Stockholm
Vulnerable area
73 % *
+46 pp
Source (classification · share)

Bergsjön

Göteborg
Particularly vulnerable area
72 % *
+45 pp
Source (classification · share)

Sigtuna/Valsta

Sigtuna
Risk area
72 % *
+45 pp
Source (classification · share)

Kronogården/Lextorp/Sylte

Trollhättan
Risk area
72 % *
+45 pp
Source (classification · share)

Råslätt

Jönköping
Vulnerable area
72 % *
+45 pp
Source (classification · share)

Dalhem/Drottninghög/Fredriksdal

Helsingborg
Risk area
70 % *
+43 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hagsätra/Rågsved

Stockholm
Vulnerable area
68 % *
+41 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hässleholmen/Hulta

Borås
Particularly vulnerable area
67 % *
+40 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hisings Backa

Göteborg
Vulnerable area
66 % *
+39 pp
Source (classification · share)

Söder

Helsingborg
Risk area
65 % *
+38 pp
Source (classification · share)

Andersberg

Halmstad
Vulnerable area
65 % *
+38 pp
Source (classification · share)

Bäckby

Västerås
Vulnerable area
64.6 % *
+38 pp
Source (classification · share)

Finnsta

Upplands-Bro
Vulnerable area
64.2 % *
+37 pp
Source (classification · share)

Gottsunda

Uppsala
Risk area
64 % *
+37 pp
Source (classification · share)

Jordbro

Haninge
Vulnerable area
64 % *
+37 pp
Source (classification · share)

Navestad

Norrköping
Vulnerable area
62.5 % *
+36 pp
Source (classification · share)

Skiftinge

Eskilstuna
Vulnerable area
61.8 %
+35 pp
Source (classification · share)

Tureberg

Sollentuna
Risk area
60 % *
+33 pp
Source (classification · share)

Tynnered/Grevegården/Opaltorget

Göteborg
Risk area
60 % *
+33 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hässelby/Vällingby

Stockholm
Vulnerable area
60 % *
+33 pp
Source (classification · share)

Brandbergen

Haninge
Vulnerable area
60 % *
+33 pp
Source (classification · share)

Karlslund

Landskrona
Vulnerable area
60 % *
+33 pp
Source (classification · share)

Hagalund

Solna
Vulnerable area
59 %
+32 pp
Source (classification · share)

Skogås

Huddinge
Vulnerable area
55 % *
+28 pp
Source (classification · share)

Sångvägen

Järfälla
Vulnerable area
53.1 % *
+26 pp
Source (classification · share)

Negative Δ = lower share with a foreign background than the national average (shown in green). Positive Δ = higher (in red). Shares are population-weighted SCB values (DeSO). * = the value refers to a larger district containing the area, not an official area-level value.

The police definitions

Verify at polisen.se

Method & source criticism

  • Foreign background = born abroad or born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents (Statistics Sweden).
  • The share refers to the district's DeSO aggregate (register data 2022) — individual blocks can be both higher and lower.
  • The national reference used is 27 % (official population-weighted figure from Statistics Sweden).
  • Correlation ≠ causation. Socioeconomics (income, education, age, housing segregation) explains part of — but not always all of — the relationship.
  • The police classification is based on the local police's assessment, not on statistics alone.
See Brå data by generation →

The question this page answers

What is a vulnerable area and what does 'parallel society' mean — and what can the numbers actually show?

At a glance

Key figures — the most important numbers on this page

2025

65

Areas on the Swedish Police assessment

2025

19

Of which 'especially vulnerable'

2015–2025

6

Number of assessment editions

2025

3 → 2

Categories — 'risk area' dropped

Method

Judgement

Aggregate police assessment, not a scoring model

What does the data show?

Objective observations — not interpretations

  • Number of areas per category at each publication — not an annual measurement.
  • Population and municipalities affected as described by the police in each edition.
  • That socio-economic indicators (income, education, employment) are on average worse in classified areas — but do not alone determine the classification.
  • That crime indicators (shootings, explosions, witness reluctance, open drug dealing) occur more often — these too are weighed in the overall judgement.
  • That electoral turnout is lower in classified areas, often 15–25 percentage points below the national average.
  • That the category list is not a mechanical scoring model — it rests on a local police judgement described qualitatively.
  • That 'parallel society' is a broader concept than 'vulnerable area' and is not used as a formal classification by the Swedish Police.

Method note
The classification comes from the Swedish Police's Situation Report on vulnerable areas. The categories ‘vulnerable’, ‘risk’ and ‘especially vulnerable’ are defined by the Police Authority and revised every two years. Maps and area data come from Statistics Sweden's DeSO geography. The classification is operational — not a legal status and not the same as the area typologies used by Brå or Boverket.

Definitions

How the numbers are counted — and what they do not cover

Vulnerable area
A geographically defined area where socio-economic conditions are low and criminals hold influence over the local community. The definition rests on a local police judgement of open drug dealing, violence, threats against witnesses and the difficulty of public agencies operating normally.Source: Swedish Police — Criminal Influence in the Local Community (assessments 2015/2017/2019/2021/2023/2025).
Risk area
A category present in the 2015–2023 assessments describing areas between 'vulnerable' and 'especially vulnerable'. Dropped in the 2025 assessment — those areas are now classified as either 'vulnerable' or 'especially vulnerable'. The time series is therefore not strictly comparable across 2025.Source: Swedish Police — 2025 assessment (method section).
Especially vulnerable area
A vulnerable area with an especially serious situation: parallel power structures, violence and threats making it difficult or impossible for the police to carry out normal duties without reinforcement, together with a widespread unwillingness to take part in the judicial process.Source: Swedish Police — 2023 and 2025 assessments.
Aggregate police judgement
The classification is made by the local police on the basis of an overall assessment of several indicators — not according to a public scoring model where a given statistic yields a given category. The criteria are described qualitatively in the assessments' method sections.Source: Swedish Police — 2023 assessment, chapter 2.
Parallel social structure
A situation in which part of the population effectively lives under other norms, institutions or laws than the country's formal ones. Can include informal courts, kin- or clan-based dispute resolution, an economy outside the formal system, and control over individuals' choices in family, marriage and expression.Source: SOU 2020:46; Sernhede/Guttormsen 2017.
Informal norm system
Rules and sanctions enforced socially — through gossip, exclusion, threats or violence — without support in law. May overlap with parallel social structures but also occurs in settings not classified as vulnerable areas.Source: County Administrative Board of Östergötland; Brå 2019:12.
Kin- and clan-based influence
A situation in which individual kin groups or clans have significant sway over dispute resolution, economy or local power, sometimes at odds with the rule of law. Documented in vulnerable areas but also occurs outside those lists.Source: Swedish Police NOA — Criminal Networks 2019/2024; Brå 2023:13.
Criminal influence
Criminal actors' capacity to influence the local community — through threats against residents, business owners, public employees and witnesses, control of public space and restrictions on public services. It is the central variable in the Police classification.Source: Swedish Police — 2023 assessment, chapter 3.
Public agency presence
The extent to which municipal, regional and national agencies can operate normally in the area — schools, social services, home care, public transport, rescue services, emergency healthcare — without reinforced protection or cancelled interventions.Source: Swedish Police — 2023 assessment; municipal assessments.
Segregation vs parallel society
Segregation is the observable spatial or social separation between groups (measured by income, education, origin). Parallel society describes that part of the population effectively lives under other norms and institutions. Segregation can exist without a parallel society and vice versa.Source: Delegation Against Segregation — Knowledge review 2020.

Primary sources

Agencies and research institutions behind this page

5

agencies/institutions

8

reports & studies

4

primary datasets

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to what is most often discussed

A geographically defined area where socio-economic conditions are low and criminals hold influence over the local community. The classification is made by the Swedish Police in the recurring national assessment and rests on a local police judgement — not on a public scoring model where a given statistic yields a given category.

Logical next steps if you want to understand the background

Sources for this page

The data comes from official primary sources.

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@misc{sverigefakta_2026_en_vulnerableareas,
  author       = {Sverigefakta.com},
  title        = {Sverigefakta},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://sverigefakta.com/en/vulnerable-areas}},
  note         = {Dataset v2026.2, accessed 2026-09-20}
}
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