This report presents an analysis of migration and integration based on Nordic comparative data and serves as an update of Østby & Gulbrandsen (2022).
At the beginning of 2022, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden had approximately 3.9 million immigrants and 1.17 million descendants, a total of 5.05 million people. Immigrants and descendants made up 18 per cent of the population in these four countries. More than half of the immigrants and their descendants live in Sweden.
The number of immigrants from Syria remains the highest (275,000), closely followed by immigrants from Poland (251,000). Syria is the largest source of immigrants in Sweden, while Poland is the largest in Denmark and Norway. In Finland, immigrants from Estonia make up the largest group. The largest groups of descendants in the Nordic countries have parents from Iraq, Finland, Türkiye, Somalia, Syria and Poland.
According to data from the Nordic database, net immigration to the Nordic countries has shown a significant upward trend from 1990 to 2022, influenced by labour immigration, refugee flows, and changes in immigration policies. In 2022, net immigration reached its highest level at 212,200, with most Nordic countries, except Sweden, reporting their largest net immigration figures that year. The war in Ukraine was a significant factor behind this increase. However, it is important to interpret these figures with caution, as there are variations in registration practices among the Nordic countries. Although these countries maintain reliable registers, discrepancies exist in migration data, particularly regarding the registration of Ukrainians. This affects the data and analyses, highlighting the need for harmonized registration practices in the region.
In this report, we operationalize integration by measuring participation in education and employment. In Finland, Norway and Sweden, around 30 per cent of the immigrants aged 16-29 were enrolled in upper & post secondary education, while participation in tertiary education among immigrants was generally lower in all three countries. In Denmark, immigrants’ participation in upper secondary education was only 13 per cent in 2021, and 19 per cent enrolled in tertiary education. Descendants of immigrants participate in education significantly more frequently than immigrants.
In 2021, employment rates for immigrants aged 20–64 in the Nordic countries were generally lower than for the rest of the population. While descendants of immigrants have somewhat higher employment rates than immigrants, their rates are still much lower than those of the rest of the population. We observe both similarities and disparities between the reporting countries and different immigrant groups. Finland has the lowest employment rates for immigrants, whereas Norway has the highest. Immigrants with a background from Africa and Asia have lower employment rates compared to those from other world regions.
Employment rates among immigrants with 0–3 years of residence vary significantly, but across all countries, the differences between immigrants from different regions diminish as their length of residence increases. In Sweden, employment rates steadily improve with longer periods of residence, reaching the highest level for those who have been residing for over 15. However, in Denmark and Norway, the share of employed immigrants declines after more than 15 years of residence.
Immigrants aged 20–29 have significantly higher rates of being neither in employment, education, nor training (NEET) compared to descendants, with levels being about twice as high as in the rest of the population. In all countries, immigrant women consistently show higher NEET rates compared to immigrant men, while among descendants, the opposite trend is observed.