Report: Four in ten immigrants in Sweden do not feel integrated into society

The study surveyed 966 newly arrived citizens in Sweden, with 59% stating that they feel part of Swedish society. However, 41% responded that they do not consider themselves integrated in Sweden.

“The proportion of people who do not feel part of Swedish society is too high,” said Mardin Baban, operations manager at Nya Kompisbyrån, in an interview with Swedish TV4.

Nya Kompisbyrån, an independent organization, collaborated with data analysis company Perspetivo to produce the report ‘Integration Pulse – A pulse measurement of new Swedes’ integration experience.’

The survey was conducted at the turn of 2023-2024 and is statistically representative. The study covers the arrival to Sweden of almost 1,000 people from outside the Nordic region between 1980 and 2024.

Read the study ‘INTEGRATIONSPULSEN – EN PULSMÄTNING AV NYA SVENSKARS EGNA INTEGRATIONSUPPLEVELSER’ (in Swedish)

Social networking

One of the most significant factors affecting integration is the perception of social connectedness.

Those who have networks among ethnic Swedes feel part of society, with eight out of ten reporting this feeling.

In contrast, only four out of ten in the group without regular social contacts in Sweden feel part of the community. Just over half of the respondents do not have regular contact with people of an ethnic Swedish background.

Attachment to the labour market

Labour market attachment is another significant factor, with 64 percent of those in work feeling integrated into society, compared to less than half of those outside the labour market.

The study shows that 63% of men and 56% of women feel a sense of belonging to Sweden.

The ‘Integration Pulse’ analyses the experience of arriving in Sweden decade by decade since 1980. The respondents who were most positive were the arrivals in the 1990s and 2000-2010.

Integration is also influenced by the country of origin. The survey revealed that respondents from Syria and Somalia have faced challenges in establishing themselves in Sweden.

Language skills

As part of the survey, participants were also asked for suggestions for the improvement of integration in Sweden:

• Learning to speak Swedish is the first step towards integration.
• Respondents also highlighted the significance of social networks and interacting with native Swedes.
• The third recommendation is access to the labour market, including recognition of international qualifications and experience to improve employment prospects.

Over 1.5 million people have immigrated to Sweden between 1980 and 2024, with approximately 20% of the population being foreign-born. Additionally, around one in four Swedish citizens have parents who were born abroad.