Almost 285,000 people from countries outside the EU/EEA have received their first residence permit in Sweden during the Tidö government’s first three full years in power. At the same time, the composition of immigration has changed very little. This is shown by statistics requested by Samnytt.

In general, the number of children per woman in the immigrants’ countries of origin is low. Among the 25 most common countries of origin, there is only one where the average IQ level is significantly higher than in Sweden.

According to the Swedish Migration Agency’s statistics, during the Tidö government’s three first full calendar years, 102,139, 93,895, and 88,938 first-time residence permits were granted to people with citizenship from countries outside the EU/EEA, respectively.

READ ALSO: Residence Permits: Unchanged Numbers under the Tidö Government

The table above of the most common immigrant countries shows that immigration has been relatively stable over the three years. It is difficult to identify any clear trends.

The number of people from Thailand has decreased, likely connected to stricter rules for those coming to Sweden to pick berries. Among the largest countries of origin, Pakistan has surpassed China and taken third place.

READ MORE: Swedish Immigration: One Fifth from the Indian Subcontinent

Immigration from countries previously marked by armed conflicts, including Syria, Iraq, Eritrea, and Afghanistan, has also decreased somewhat.

The figures for 2023 are based on the information reported in this article.

It is difficult to get a fully reliable picture of the average IQ level in different countries of origin. The above table is based on figures published by World Population Review, sourced from Lynn and Becker’s compilation of IQ studies from 2019.

According to this compilation, China has a higher average IQ than Sweden. Some countries are at about the same level as Sweden, while others lie somewhat lower.

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An alternative to IQ measurements is to compare countries’ results in the PISA surveys, which measure students’ knowledge. However, many countries do not participate in PISA, especially those where the results are expected to be weak.

Among the major immigration countries not participating in PISA are India and Pakistan. India allowed some states to participate in PISA 2009, but subsequently opted out after poor results.

Low Birth Rates in Most Countries

It is unclear to what extent the birth rates in the countries of origin reflect how many children immigrants have after settling in Sweden.

The World Bank’s statistics for 2024 nevertheless show that women in most major countries of origin for immigration to Sweden, on average, give birth to a relatively limited number of children. According to the World Bank’s statistics, only Pakistan, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, and Nigeria have an average birth rate of more than three children per woman.

If immigrants from groups with lower average cognitive ability continue to have more children than the rest of the population even after immigrating to Sweden, this could eventually affect the overall average cognitive level of the population.

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