Immigrant labor is shouldering an ever-larger share of Sweden's welfare system, especially in elderly care. A report from Sweden's Municipalities and Regions (SKR) shows a sharp rise in foreign-born municipal and regional employees over the past decade. The proportion has increased from 13 to 22 percent in municipalities and from 14 to 20 percent in regions.
A new report from Sweden's Municipalities and Regions (SKR) highlights how foreign-born individuals are increasingly supporting the Swedish welfare system. Nearly 300,000 municipal and regional employees in Sweden were born abroad. Between 2014 and 2024, the share of foreign-born salaried staff in municipalities rose from 13 to 22 percent, and in regions from 14 to 20 percent.
Many of these workers arrived in Sweden within the last decade. Dependence is particularly high in care and elderly services: 53 percent of nursing assistants are foreign-born, 37 percent of assistant nurses, 46 percent of dentists, and 37 percent of specialist physicians.
"It is more and more foreign-born people who have applied there and therefore become increasingly important for the competence supply in welfare," says Bodil Umegård, head of SKR's data and analysis section.
Looking ahead, demographic challenges loom. The number of people of working age (20–66 years) has grown by 500,000 over the past decade, but this increase consists solely of foreign-born individuals. There has been no growth among those born in Sweden, Umegård notes.
Sweden's more restrictive migration policy risks impacting recruitment negatively. "One can only state that far fewer people will come from other countries to Sweden in the future, which also means it could become harder to recruit staff for welfare," she warns.
On a positive note, young foreign-born individuals show greater interest in welfare professions. The proportion of foreign-born beginners in nursing programs has risen from 10 to 28 percent, and in dental programs from 20 to 57 percent over the past decade. "We see that the group of foreign-born is more open; they do not completely close the door to any profession. Especially regarding interest in jobs in health and care," Umegård says.
