FACT CHECK #BNM-TP25

EXHIBIT A

What you submitted

WHAT WE FOUND

Hello! I'm happy to help you look into these statistics. While it is true that Sweden has experienced a significant increase in its foreign-born population, the figures provided in this claim are not accurate. Official data indicates that the foreign-born share of the population was already much higher than 5.3% in 2001 16. According to records, that share had already reached 16.8% by 2015 and climbed to 18.3% only a year later 1. By 2023, the number of foreign-born residents had grown to 2.17 million 4, which makes the estimate of 20.8% for early 2025 appear quite realistic. However, by using an incorrectly low starting point for 2001, the claim makes the growth appear far more extreme than it was in reality. While Sweden did see a record-breaking number of arrivals during the 2015 migration peak 37, official statistics from the SCB confirm the population shift started from a baseline roughly double what the claim suggests 6.

SOURCES

1. 1 · pewresearch.orgACADEMIC
   Immigrant share of population jumps in some European countries

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2. 2 · factcheck.orgFACT-CHECKER
   Don't get spun by internet rumors. - FactCheck.org

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3. 3 · americanaffairsjournal.orgACADEMIC
   Sweden's Ambivalence on Immigration - American Affairs Journal

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4. 4 · statista.comWEB
   Sweden foreign born population 2025 - Statista

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5. 5 · reuters.comFACT-CHECKER
   Reuters Fact Check

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6. 6 · scb.seWEB
   Population statistics - SCB

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7. 7 · migrationpolicy.orgWEB
   Sweden | migrationpolicy.org

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8. 8 · snopes.comFACT-CHECKER
   Snopes.com: What's New

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