Kommunlotsen / Origin / DR Congo
Congolese people in Sweden: how many and where do they live?
Origin DR Congo: how large the group is, where it lives and how it has changed.
About 12,000 people in Sweden have an origin in DR Congo (2025). Of them, about 7,800 were born in DR Congo and 4,300 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
The most people born in DR Congo live in Stockholm (817), Göteborg (305) and Uppsala (190). The largest share of residents is in Lycksele (0.5%), Upplands-Bro (0.4%) and Vilhelmina (0.4%).
By origin in DR Congo we mean people who were born in DR Congo, or who were born in Sweden and have at least one parent born in DR Congo.
How large is the group in Sweden?
| Born in DR Congo | 7,753 |
|---|---|
| Born in Sweden, both parents from DR Congo | 1,747 |
| Born in Sweden, parents from DR Congo and another country | 1,383 |
| Born in Sweden, one parent from DR Congo | 1,170 |
How has the number changed?
The number of people born in DR Congo living in Sweden has grown from about 780 in 2000 to about 7,200 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from DR Congo, the whole group has grown from about 7,500 in 2018 to about 12,000 in 2025.
Change in the municipalities with the most people born in DR Congo
People born in DR Congo living in the municipality, 2015 compared with 2025.
| Municipality | 2015 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 642 | 817 | +175 (+27%) |
| Göteborg | 153 | 305 | +152 (+99%) |
| Uppsala | 61 | 190 | +129 (+211%) |
| Linköping | 66 | 189 | +123 (+186%) |
| Eskilstuna | 72 | 187 | +115 (+160%) |
| Umeå | 43 | 183 | +140 (+326%) |
| Botkyrka | 131 | 173 | +42 (+32%) |
| Örebro | 81 | 164 | +83 (+102%) |
| Södertälje | 57 | 161 | +104 (+182%) |
| Västerås | 81 | 144 | +63 (+78%) |
Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB). The number born in DR Congo is the sum over all municipalities, year by year. Everyone with roots in DR Congo is only available nationally and from 2018.
Municipalities with the most people born in DR Congo
Number is the people born in DR Congo 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 DR Congo in the country.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 817 | 0.1% |
| Göteborg | 305 | 0.0% |
| Uppsala | 190 | 0.1% |
| Linköping | 189 | 0.1% |
| Eskilstuna | 187 | 0.2% |
| Umeå | 183 | 0.1% |
| Botkyrka | 173 | 0.2% |
| Örebro | 164 | 0.1% |
| Södertälje | 161 | 0.2% |
| Västerås | 144 | 0.1% |
| Östersund | 144 | 0.2% |
| Haninge | 132 | 0.1% |
| Upplands-Bro | 131 | 0.4% |
| Järfälla | 127 | 0.1% |
| Sigtuna | 120 | 0.2% |
| Huddinge | 118 | 0.1% |
| Malmö | 115 | 0.0% |
| Sandviken | 106 | 0.3% |
| Norrköping | 93 | 0.1% |
| Gävle | 92 | 0.1% |
| Kungsbacka | 89 | 0.1% |
| Luleå | 88 | 0.1% |
| Karlstad | 84 | 0.1% |
| Norrtälje | 71 | 0.1% |
| Nacka | 69 | 0.1% |
Largest share of residents
Municipalities with at least 20 people born in DR Congo, sorted by their share of the municipality's residents.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Lycksele | 59 | 0.5% |
| Upplands-Bro | 131 | 0.4% |
| Vilhelmina | 23 | 0.4% |
| Orsa | 23 | 0.3% |
| Gällivare | 50 | 0.3% |
| Sandviken | 106 | 0.3% |
| Ovanåker | 30 | 0.3% |
| Tierp | 53 | 0.3% |
| Härnösand | 59 | 0.2% |
| Vännäs | 21 | 0.2% |
| Sigtuna | 120 | 0.2% |
| Östersund | 144 | 0.2% |
| Värnamo | 62 | 0.2% |
| Botkyrka | 173 | 0.2% |
| Säter | 20 | 0.2% |
| Nynäshamn | 54 | 0.2% |
| Eskilstuna | 187 | 0.2% |
| Stenungsund | 45 | 0.2% |
| Håbo | 37 | 0.2% |
| Södertälje | 161 | 0.2% |
| Järfälla | 127 | 0.1% |
| Enköping | 67 | 0.1% |
| Söderköping | 20 | 0.1% |
| Umeå | 183 | 0.1% |
| Haninge | 132 | 0.1% |
Common questions about Congolese people in Sweden
- How many Congolese people live in Sweden?
- About 12,000 people in Sweden have an origin in DR Congo (2025). Of them, about 7,800 were born in DR Congo and 4,300 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
- Where in Sweden do most Congolese people live?
- The most people born in DR Congo live in Stockholm (817), Göteborg (305) and Uppsala (190). Together, 18% of everyone born in DR Congo lives in one of these three municipalities.
- Which municipality has the largest share of Congolese people?
- Lycksele, where 0.5% of residents were born in DR Congo. It is followed by Upplands-Bro (0.4%) and Vilhelmina (0.4%).
- Is the number of Congolese people in Sweden growing or shrinking?
- The number of people born in DR Congo living in Sweden has grown from about 780 in 2000 to about 7,200 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from DR Congo, the whole group has grown from about 7,500 in 2018 to about 12,000 in 2025.
- How many were born in Sweden to parents from DR Congo?
- About 4,300. Of them, about 1,700 have two parents born in DR Congo.
Good to know
- The lists above only count people born in DR Congo. Where people born in Sweden with parents from DR Congo 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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