Statistics Sweden

Section for population statistics

SCB
SE-701 89 Örebro
SWEDEN

Data and metadata are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States in the framework of the Population Statistics Data Collection which is in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 and their implementing regulations.

This Euro SDMX Metadata Structure is used for the purpose of quality reporting. The definition of the quality concepts and guidelines are described in the European Statistical System Handbook for Quality Reports.

The regional breakdown of the Member States in the regional demographic tables is done under the most recent NUTS classification. There are agreements between Eurostat and Candidate countries as well as between Eurostat and EFTA countries, for which statistical regions have been coded in a way that resembles NUTS.

For more information on the versions in force, please see: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/nuts/.

Not available.

The statistics refers to the registered population. Which is the population, that according to national legislation on population registration, is registered at the Swedish Tax Agency. Persons from Ukraine who are granted temporary protection are not registered in the national population register and therefore not included in the statistics.  

Number of persons.

Population, live births and deaths data are available at national and regional level of geographical detail.

Most data are available and computerized from 1968 or 1969.

Not applicable.

Data is collected at unit (person) level.

The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December).
The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year in which the migration occurred.

Statistics Sweden's operations are governed by its directive, laws and ordinances, as well as the annual appropriation directions.

Statistics Sweden's directive
The directive is an ordinance that contains regulations on the framework and operations management.
Ordinance with the directive for Statistics Sweden (2016:822)

Laws and ordinances
In addition to the directive, several other laws and ordinances govern Statistics Sweden’s operations.
Official Statistics Act (2001:99)
Official Statistics Ordinance (2001:100)
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Ordinance concerning Government Authorities' Collection of Data from Businesses Operators and Local Authorities (1982:668)
Regulatory Impact Assessment Ordinance (2007:1244)

Not available.

For confidentiality regarding the authority's specific task for the production of statistics, Chapter 24 Section 8 of the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act (2009:400) applies. Within the area of statistics, there are also specific rules on the handling of personal data in the Official Statistics Act (2001:99), the Official Statistics Ordinance (2001:100) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Not available.

Annual statistics on demography and vital events are published in February and March every year.

Statistics refering to the year 2022 was published on 22 February 2023 and 22 March 2023.
Statistics refering to the year 2023 will be published on 22 February 2024 and 22 March 2024.

https://www.scb.se/en/finding-statistics/publishing-calendar/

Not available.

Statistics on demography and vital events are published monthly, quarterly, semiannually and annually.

The first and second annual press release (in Swedish) on demography statistics for reference year 2022:

https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/statistik-efter-amne/befolkning/befolkningens-sammansattning/befolkningsstatistik/pong/statistiknyhet/befolkningsstatistik-helaret-2022/;

https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/statistik-efter-amne/befolkning/befolkningens-sammansattning/befolkningsstatistik/pong/statistiknyhet/befolkningsstatistik-helaret-20222/.

Short versions in English:

https://www.scb.se/en/finding-statistics/statistics-by-subject-area/population/population-composition/population-statistics/pong/statistical-news/swedens-population-2022--population-changes2/;

https://www.scb.se/en/finding-statistics/statistics-by-subject-area/population/population-composition/population-statistics/pong/statistical-news/swedens-population-2022--population-changes3/.

No printed publications. All statistics are published at Statistics Sweden's web page: https://www.scb.se/en/finding-statistics/statistics-by-subject-area/population/population-composition/population-statistics/.

Statistics published in the Statistical Database: http://www.statistikdatabasen.scb.se/pxweb/en/ssd/?rxid=1ccd5200-9a2d-4a9b-8821-2d7f32ff3038.

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Detailed documentation (in Swedish) can be found here:
https://www.scb.se/contentassets/9299bfcd87ba4c828a8d46b4db49d67a/be0101_staf-2022.pdf;

https://www.scb.se/contentassets/9299bfcd87ba4c828a8d46b4db49d67a/be0101_kd_2022_ap_220308.pdf.

Detailed documentation (in Swedish) can be found here:
https://www.scb.se/contentassets/9299bfcd87ba4c828a8d46b4db49d67a/be0101_staf-2022.pdf;

https://www.scb.se/contentassets/9299bfcd87ba4c828a8d46b4db49d67a/be0101_kd_2022_ap_220308.pdf.

The majority of statistics on demography and vital events are based on data from the Total Population Register. See attached document for a quality description of the Total Population Register. Latest English version refers to reference year 2016.

The statistics refers to the registered population. Which is the population, that according to national legislation on population registration, is registered at the Swedish Tax Agency. Persons from Ukraine who are granted temporary protection are not registered in the national population register. Only immigrants that are allowed to register can be classified as immigrants.  

Persons emigrating to Norway or Denmark have a threshold of 6 months. In all other cases the 12 months criteria is applied.

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Population statistics 
The statistics refers to the registered population. Which is the population, that according to national legislation on population registration, is registered at the Swedish Tax Agency. 

The majority of statistics on demography and vital events are based on data from the Total Population Register. The register includes all registered persons in Sweden. The registration is based on  twelve months criteria, i.e. a person who has the right to stay in the country for at least twelve months shall register. There are strong incentives to register. All the above categories refers to statistics for registered persons.

Please note that persons from Ukraine who are granted temporary protection are not registered in the national population register and therefore not included in the statistics.  

Asylum seekers are not registered and not included in the statistics. Persons who are granted a refugee permit are included. The registered population includes persons who are homeless, persons with disabilty etc. The registered population do not include persons who are illegaly in the country. 

See attached document for a quality description of the Total Population Register. Latest English version refers to reference year 2016. More information on the Total Population Register are available at scb.se (in the Swdish).

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Separate statistics on asylum seekers and persons under the Temporary Protection Directive 
Statistics are available at scb.se (statistics) and as attached file:
Asylum seekers refers to individuals who sought asylum in Sweden during the reference period and have been registered in the Swedish Migration Agency's central aliens database. Individuals who have had a temporary residence permit at any time in the last four years, 
individuals applying for an extension of their asylum case and individuals seeking asylum at a Swedish embassy in another country are not included in the statistics on asylum seekers. 
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU's Temporary Protection Directive was activated on March 4, 2022. Persons with a Swedish residence permit with protection under the EU's Temporary Protection Directive which expired on March 4, 2023
have had to apply for an extended residence permit to stay in Sweden. Extended residence permits are not included in these statistics. Persons who have not applied for an extended residence permit (by March 4, 2023 at the latest) but still 
want to stay in Sweden must apply again for protection under the Temporary Protection Directive. New applications are covered by these statistics and therefore these persons are included in the statistics with more than one application.

Information on the number of asylum seekers is available at Statistics Sweden from 2002 and onwards. Earlier statistics are available on the Swedish Migration Agency's website.
Further detailed statistics on asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors are available in Statistics Sweden's statistical database.
The Swedish Migration Agency's website also contains further statistics on asylum seekers and  applicants under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Category unknown
The statistics are fully register-based. Category Unknown is used when no information on the above topics are available in the registers.

According to Article 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata ( In the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.

Not available.

The Swedish data are fully based on registers. This can impair the comparability of data based on other sources, for example surveys.

The Swedish statistics on demography and vital events are fully comparable between different geographical areas in Sweden.

The majority of data are available and computerized from 1968 or 1969. The comparability over time is good.  

The statistics on demography and vital events are coherent with other statistics based on the same source; the Total Population Register.

In comparisons between International Migration Statistics (IM) and Residence Permits Statistics (RP) flow statistics please note that:

IM figure refers to immigrants who are allowed to stay in Sweden and has the intention of staying at least 12 months. These persons are registered. 

RP figure refers to residence permits given to persons with citizenship of “non-EU countries”, “Stateless” or “Unknown”. 

RP figure refers to residence permits longer than 3 months. IM figure refers to immigrants who has the intention to stay at least 12 months in Sweden.

RP figure refers to number of residence permits, not number of persons. A person may have been granted  more than one residence permit.

RP figure include granted residence permits given to persons who never immigrate to Sweden.

RP figure only refers to “first permits”, defined according to Eurostat guidelines.

RP figure also include residence permits that for some reason is withdrawn after being granted.

In compairisons between International Migration Statistics (IM) and Residence Permits Statistics (RP) stock statistics please note that:

IM figure refers to persons who has their usual residence in Sweden.

RP figure does not include immigrants that has been granted with a Swedish citizenship.

RP figures includes residence permits given to persons who need to apply for a residence permit. A person with for example Swedish, Nordic or EU citizenship do not need to apply for a residence permit and is not included. 

RP figure refers to residence permits longer than 3 months. Compared to IM figure with 12 months criteria.

RP figure refers to “all” residence permits and not only “first permits”.

RP figures also include granted residence permits given to persons that never immigrate to Sweden.

RP figure refers to number of residence permits, not number of persons. A person may have been granted  more than one residence permit.

RP figure also include residence permits that for some reason is withdrawn after being granted. 

The Total Population Register is the source for the majority of the variables and the variables are to a large extent coherent.

Not available.

In general a figure will be revised if an error is detected.

No revisions are scheduled.

Statistics Sweden receives notifications from the Tax Agency continuously. Monthly population registers, on stocks and events, are stored. 

The Total Population Register is the source of the data and the Tax Agency are the authority responsible for the administrative register. Almost all public services utilize the administrative register and there is an incentive for individuals to keep the information updated in order to get information, social benefits, and other types of public services. The administrative register is updated based on information from authorities, healthcare professionals, individual persons, etc.

The validation of the statistical register includes controls as valid values and logical controls.

The administrative register is also validated at the Tax Agency.

The population in the register received from the Tax Agency is considered to be the target population. Some coding is made for variables as sex and age. Which is made by using the personal identification number (PIN) of each person.

The statistical adjustment refers to vital events that happened during previous years. The events were not registered in time to be included in the annual population figure for the previous year. However, no previous annual figures are adjusted.

Not available.