Kommunlotsen / Origin / Bulgaria
Bulgarians in Sweden: how many and where do they live?
Origin Bulgaria: how large the group is, where it lives and how it has changed.
About 15,000 people in Sweden have an origin in Bulgaria (2025). Of them, about 11,000 were born in Bulgaria and 4,900 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
The most people born in Bulgaria live in Stockholm (1,075), Malmö (942) and Göteborg (753). The largest share of residents is in Varberg (0.7%), Haninge (0.5%) and Älvsbyn (0.4%).
By origin in Bulgaria we mean people who were born in Bulgaria, or who were born in Sweden and have at least one parent born in Bulgaria.
How large is the group in Sweden?
| Born in Bulgaria | 10,563 |
|---|---|
| Born in Sweden, both parents from Bulgaria | 1,563 |
| Born in Sweden, parents from Bulgaria and another country | 1,392 |
| Born in Sweden, one parent from Bulgaria | 1,907 |
How has the number changed?
The number of people born in Bulgaria living in Sweden has grown from about 3,000 in 2000 to about 10,000 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from Bulgaria, the whole group has grown from about 13,000 in 2018 to about 15,000 in 2025.
Change in the municipalities with the most people born in Bulgaria
People born in Bulgaria living in the municipality, 2015 compared with 2025.
| Municipality | 2015 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 1,231 | 1,075 | −156 (−13%) |
| Malmö | 819 | 942 | +123 (+15%) |
| Göteborg | 614 | 753 | +139 (+23%) |
| Haninge | 315 | 507 | +192 (+61%) |
| Varberg | 416 | 488 | +72 (+17%) |
| Botkyrka | 310 | 287 | −23 (−7%) |
| Huddinge | 252 | 244 | −8 (−3%) |
| Jönköping | 157 | 215 | +58 (+37%) |
| Södertälje | 124 | 209 | +85 (+69%) |
| Sollentuna | 213 | 198 | −15 (−7%) |
Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB). The number born in Bulgaria is the sum over all municipalities, year by year. Everyone with roots in Bulgaria is only available nationally and from 2018.
Municipalities with the most people born in Bulgaria
Number is the people born in Bulgaria living in the municipality, Share is their share of the municipality's residents, and Of all in Sweden is the municipality's share of everyone born in Bulgaria in the country.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 1,075 | 0.1% |
| Malmö | 942 | 0.3% |
| Göteborg | 753 | 0.1% |
| Haninge | 507 | 0.5% |
| Varberg | 488 | 0.7% |
| Botkyrka | 287 | 0.3% |
| Huddinge | 244 | 0.2% |
| Jönköping | 215 | 0.1% |
| Södertälje | 209 | 0.2% |
| Sollentuna | 198 | 0.3% |
| Uppsala | 170 | 0.1% |
| Järfälla | 163 | 0.2% |
| Linköping | 154 | 0.1% |
| Lund | 150 | 0.1% |
| Halmstad | 147 | 0.1% |
| Växjö | 146 | 0.1% |
| Sigtuna | 142 | 0.3% |
| Helsingborg | 119 | 0.1% |
| Solna | 113 | 0.1% |
| Nacka | 104 | 0.1% |
| Borås | 103 | 0.1% |
| Upplands Väsby | 98 | 0.2% |
| Sundbyberg | 87 | 0.2% |
| Västerås | 86 | 0.1% |
| Gävle | 81 | 0.1% |
Largest share of residents
Municipalities with at least 20 people born in Bulgaria, sorted by their share of the municipality's residents.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Varberg | 488 | 0.7% |
| Haninge | 507 | 0.5% |
| Älvsbyn | 34 | 0.4% |
| Markaryd | 39 | 0.4% |
| Hylte | 36 | 0.4% |
| Botkyrka | 287 | 0.3% |
| Bromölla | 37 | 0.3% |
| Sävsjö | 32 | 0.3% |
| Sigtuna | 142 | 0.3% |
| Burlöv | 54 | 0.3% |
| Ljungby | 73 | 0.3% |
| Olofström | 33 | 0.3% |
| Malmö | 942 | 0.3% |
| Sollentuna | 198 | 0.3% |
| Upplands-Bro | 73 | 0.2% |
| Huddinge | 244 | 0.2% |
| Södertälje | 209 | 0.2% |
| Upplands Väsby | 98 | 0.2% |
| Nybro | 36 | 0.2% |
| Järfälla | 163 | 0.2% |
| Mark | 60 | 0.2% |
| Alvesta | 33 | 0.2% |
| Hultsfred | 21 | 0.2% |
| Sundbyberg | 87 | 0.2% |
| Växjö | 146 | 0.1% |
Common questions about Bulgarians in Sweden
- How many Bulgarians live in Sweden?
- About 15,000 people in Sweden have an origin in Bulgaria (2025). Of them, about 11,000 were born in Bulgaria and 4,900 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
- Where in Sweden do most Bulgarians live?
- The most people born in Bulgaria live in Stockholm (1,075), Malmö (942) and Göteborg (753). Together, 27% of everyone born in Bulgaria lives in one of these three municipalities.
- Which municipality has the largest share of Bulgarians?
- Varberg, where 0.7% of residents were born in Bulgaria. It is followed by Haninge (0.5%) and Älvsbyn (0.4%).
- Is the number of Bulgarians in Sweden growing or shrinking?
- The number of people born in Bulgaria living in Sweden has grown from about 3,000 in 2000 to about 10,000 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from Bulgaria, the whole group has grown from about 13,000 in 2018 to about 15,000 in 2025.
- How many were born in Sweden to parents from Bulgaria?
- About 4,900. Of them, about 1,600 have two parents born in Bulgaria.
Good to know
- The lists above only count people born in Bulgaria. Where people born in Sweden with parents from Bulgaria live is not available in Statistics Sweden's open data, only how many there are in the whole country. The real group in a municipality is therefore usually larger than the figures show.
- These are sorted lists, not grades. A large or small number is neither good nor bad.
- Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB). The municipality figures are from 2025 and the national table from 2025. Shares and rankings are Kommunlotsen's own calculations. The national figures are rounded by Statistics Sweden. Last updated .
Countries in the same region:
Largest groups in Sweden:
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