Sweden's asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum was 4,661 in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 97.03% from 157,017 in 2015 (29.65% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 4,661 | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 18,603 | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 157,017 | 2015 |
| Highest | 157,017 | 2015 |
| Lowest | 4,661 | 2025 |
| Average since 2016 | 26,897 | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 10,800 | 2000 |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Sweden's asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum fell 15.1% on 2024 (from 5,490 to 4,661).
Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +7.8% and a typical year strayed about 55.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 176.7% in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 51.3% in 2024. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 7,312 a year. A straight line explains 81% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Sweden had the 69th highest value of the 166 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 4,661 | 2025 |
| World | 9 million | 2025 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 1.41 million | 2025 |
| High income | 5.76 million | 2025 |
Closest to Sweden in the 2025 ranking
- United Arab Emirates — 66th of 166: 6,257
- Tunisia — 67th of 166: 5,523
- Indonesia — 68th of 166: 4,697
- New Zealand — 70th of 166: 4,584
- Togo — 71st of 166: 4,282
- Syrian Arab Republic — 72nd of 166: 4,144
What this measures
Asylum-seekers are individuals who have sought international protection and whose claims for refugee status have not yet been determined. This includes those who are in various stages of the asylum process, such as initial application, appeal, or awaiting final decision. In specific contexts, asylum-seekers may also include those who are seeking protection under complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection, but whose claims are still under consideration.
Limitations: Variability in national asylum procedures and processing times can lead to inconsistencies in data reporting, affecting the accuracy of cross-country comparisons. Unregistered asylum claims or informal border crossings may result in incomplete data, underestimating the true scope of the need for protection. Additionally, the changing status of individuals, such as those asylum-seekers that are recognized as refugees, complicates the tracking and categorization of data.
All 26 values
| Year | Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,661 |
| 2024 | 5,490 |
| 2023 | 11,271 |
| 2022 | 14,469 |
| 2021 | 13,954 |
| 2020 | 18,603 |
| 2019 | 28,006 |
| 2018 | 37,892 |
| 2017 | 51,588 |
| 2016 | 83,040 |
| 2015 |
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum in nearby economies
- Albania — 11 (2025)
- Armenia — 998 (2025)
- Austria — 22,014 (2025)
- Azerbaijan — 199 (2025)
- Belarus — 1,470 (2025)
- Belgium — 58,725 (2025)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 164 (2025)
- Bulgaria — 1,317 (2025)
- Croatia — 434 (2025)
- Cyprus
More social protection & labor data for Sweden
- Net migration — 47,079 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 144,116 (2025)
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) — 8.71% (2025)
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) — 8.77% (2025)
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) — 8.74% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate) — 57.25% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (national estimate) — 57.23% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Sweden's asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum?
- 4,661 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2000?
- It is down 56.84% from 10,800 in 2000 (3.31% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 157,017 in 2015 and the lowest 4,661 in 2025.
- How does Sweden rank?
- 69th highest of 166 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum unusual for Sweden?
- In 2025, Sweden's asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum fell 15.1% on 2024 (from 5,490 to 4,661). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +7.8% and a typical year strayed about 55.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SM.POP.ASYS.EA, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), uri: https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
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