Kommunlotsen / Origin / Libya
Libyans in Sweden: how many and where do they live?
Origin Libya: how large the group is, where it lives and how it has changed.
About 6,800 people in Sweden have an origin in Libya (2025). Of them, about 3,800 were born in Libya and 3,000 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
The most people born in Libya live in Stockholm (348), Göteborg (252) and Malmö (247). The largest share of residents is in Upplands-Bro (0.2%), Ronneby (0.1%) and Helsingborg (0.1%).
By origin in Libya we mean people who were born in Libya, or who were born in Sweden and have at least one parent born in Libya.
How large is the group in Sweden?
| Born in Libya | 3,799 |
|---|---|
| Born in Sweden, both parents from Libya | 581 |
| Born in Sweden, parents from Libya and another country | 1,722 |
| Born in Sweden, one parent from Libya | 722 |
How has the number changed?
The number of people born in Libya living in Sweden has grown from about 200 in 2000 to about 3,200 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from Libya, the whole group has grown from about 5,900 in 2018 to about 6,800 in 2025.
Change in the municipalities with the most people born in Libya
People born in Libya living in the municipality, 2015 compared with 2025.
| Municipality | 2015 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 323 | 348 | +25 (+8%) |
| Göteborg | 145 | 252 | +107 (+74%) |
| Malmö | 158 | 247 | +89 (+56%) |
| Helsingborg | 117 | 172 | +55 (+47%) |
| Uppsala | 71 | 103 | +32 (+45%) |
| Norrköping | 36 | 88 | +52 (+144%) |
| Borås | 41 | 70 | +29 (+71%) |
| Botkyrka | 35 | 63 | +28 (+80%) |
| Västerås | 37 | 61 | +24 (+65%) |
| Huddinge | 47 | 60 | +13 (+28%) |
Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB). The number born in Libya is the sum over all municipalities, year by year. Everyone with roots in Libya is only available nationally and from 2018.
Municipalities with the most people born in Libya
Number is the people born in Libya 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 Libya in the country.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 348 | 0.0% |
| Göteborg | 252 | 0.0% |
| Malmö | 247 | 0.1% |
| Helsingborg | 172 | 0.1% |
| Uppsala | 103 | 0.0% |
| Norrköping | 88 | 0.1% |
| Borås | 70 | 0.1% |
| Botkyrka | 63 | 0.1% |
| Västerås | 61 | 0.0% |
| Huddinge | 60 | 0.1% |
| Umeå | 60 | 0.0% |
| Linköping | 54 | 0.0% |
| Haninge | 53 | 0.1% |
| Upplands-Bro | 53 | 0.2% |
| Järfälla | 51 | 0.1% |
| Halmstad | 50 | 0.0% |
| Sigtuna | 48 | 0.1% |
| Jönköping | 45 | 0.0% |
| Örebro | 45 | 0.0% |
| Hässleholm | 41 | 0.1% |
| Sollentuna | 40 | 0.1% |
| Växjö | 39 | 0.0% |
| Uddevalla | 37 | 0.1% |
| Eskilstuna | 36 | 0.0% |
| Ronneby | 35 | 0.1% |
Largest share of residents
Municipalities with at least 20 people born in Libya, sorted by their share of the municipality's residents.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Upplands-Bro | 53 | 0.2% |
| Ronneby | 35 | 0.1% |
| Helsingborg | 172 | 0.1% |
| Sigtuna | 48 | 0.1% |
| Nässjö | 25 | 0.1% |
| Hässleholm | 41 | 0.1% |
| Gislaved | 21 | 0.1% |
| Landskrona | 34 | 0.1% |
| Malmö | 247 | 0.1% |
| Uddevalla | 37 | 0.1% |
| Botkyrka | 63 | 0.1% |
| Borås | 70 | 0.1% |
| Norrköping | 88 | 0.1% |
| Katrineholm | 20 | 0.1% |
| Järfälla | 51 | 0.1% |
| Borlänge | 29 | 0.1% |
| Huddinge | 60 | 0.1% |
| Haninge | 53 | 0.1% |
| Sollentuna | 40 | 0.1% |
| Sundbyberg | 28 | 0.0% |
| Halmstad | 50 | 0.0% |
| Karlskrona | 31 | 0.0% |
| Umeå | 60 | 0.0% |
| Uppsala | 103 | 0.0% |
| Göteborg | 252 | 0.0% |
Common questions about Libyans in Sweden
- How many Libyans live in Sweden?
- About 6,800 people in Sweden have an origin in Libya (2025). Of them, about 3,800 were born in Libya and 3,000 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
- Where in Sweden do most Libyans live?
- The most people born in Libya live in Stockholm (348), Göteborg (252) and Malmö (247). Together, 26% of everyone born in Libya lives in one of these three municipalities.
- Which municipality has the largest share of Libyans?
- Upplands-Bro, where 0.2% of residents were born in Libya. It is followed by Ronneby (0.1%) and Helsingborg (0.1%).
- Is the number of Libyans in Sweden growing or shrinking?
- The number of people born in Libya living in Sweden has grown from about 200 in 2000 to about 3,200 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from Libya, the whole group has grown from about 5,900 in 2018 to about 6,800 in 2025.
- How many were born in Sweden to parents from Libya?
- About 3,000. Of them, about 580 have two parents born in Libya.
Good to know
- The lists above only count people born in Libya. Where people born in Sweden with parents from Libya 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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