Kommunlotsen / Origin / South Africa
South Africans in Sweden: how many and where do they live?
Origin South Africa: how large the group is, where it lives and how it has changed.
About 7,200 people in Sweden have an origin in South Africa (2025). Of them, about 4,600 were born in South Africa and 2,600 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
The most people born in South Africa live in Stockholm (651), Göteborg (304) and Malmö (210). The largest share of residents is in Boden (0.2%), Lund (0.1%) and Lidingö (0.1%).
By origin in South Africa we mean people who were born in South Africa, or who were born in Sweden and have at least one parent born in South Africa.
How large is the group in Sweden?
| Born in South Africa | 4,572 |
|---|---|
| Born in Sweden, both parents from South Africa | 142 |
| Born in Sweden, parents from South Africa and another country | 396 |
| Born in Sweden, one parent from South Africa | 2,096 |
How has the number changed?
The number of people born in South Africa living in Sweden has grown from about 610 in 2000 to about 3,900 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from South Africa, the whole group has grown from about 5,200 in 2018 to about 7,200 in 2025.
Change in the municipalities with the most people born in South Africa
People born in South Africa living in the municipality, 2015 compared with 2025.
| Municipality | 2015 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 384 | 651 | +267 (+70%) |
| Göteborg | 185 | 304 | +119 (+64%) |
| Malmö | 102 | 210 | +108 (+106%) |
| Uppsala | 108 | 190 | +82 (+76%) |
| Lund | 73 | 147 | +74 (+101%) |
| Västerås | 47 | 92 | +45 (+96%) |
| Nacka | 40 | 87 | +47 (+118%) |
| Solna | 29 | 78 | +49 (+169%) |
| Örebro | 44 | 75 | +31 (+70%) |
| Täby | 40 | 68 | +28 (+70%) |
Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB). The number born in South Africa is the sum over all municipalities, year by year. Everyone with roots in South Africa is only available nationally and from 2018.
Municipalities with the most people born in South Africa
Number is the people born in South Africa 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 South Africa in the country.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 651 | 0.1% |
| Göteborg | 304 | 0.0% |
| Malmö | 210 | 0.1% |
| Uppsala | 190 | 0.1% |
| Lund | 147 | 0.1% |
| Västerås | 92 | 0.1% |
| Nacka | 87 | 0.1% |
| Solna | 78 | 0.1% |
| Örebro | 75 | 0.0% |
| Täby | 68 | 0.1% |
| Sollentuna | 67 | 0.1% |
| Jönköping | 64 | 0.0% |
| Huddinge | 63 | 0.1% |
| Helsingborg | 57 | 0.0% |
| Boden | 53 | 0.2% |
| Skellefteå | 51 | 0.1% |
| Haninge | 50 | 0.0% |
| Gävle | 46 | 0.0% |
| Linköping | 45 | 0.0% |
| Lidingö | 44 | 0.1% |
| Järfälla | 43 | 0.0% |
| Södertälje | 43 | 0.0% |
| Eskilstuna | 42 | 0.0% |
| Luleå | 41 | 0.1% |
| Halmstad | 40 | 0.0% |
Largest share of residents
Municipalities with at least 20 people born in South Africa, sorted by their share of the municipality's residents.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Boden | 53 | 0.2% |
| Lund | 147 | 0.1% |
| Lidingö | 44 | 0.1% |
| Solna | 78 | 0.1% |
| Danderyd | 29 | 0.1% |
| Täby | 68 | 0.1% |
| Sollentuna | 67 | 0.1% |
| Sandviken | 32 | 0.1% |
| Mariestad | 20 | 0.1% |
| Nacka | 87 | 0.1% |
| Uppsala | 190 | 0.1% |
| Vellinge | 27 | 0.1% |
| Sigtuna | 38 | 0.1% |
| Skellefteå | 51 | 0.1% |
| Stockholm | 651 | 0.1% |
| Värnamo | 22 | 0.1% |
| Upplands Väsby | 32 | 0.1% |
| Österåker | 30 | 0.1% |
| Partille | 24 | 0.1% |
| Värmdö | 27 | 0.1% |
| Malmö | 210 | 0.1% |
| Västerås | 92 | 0.1% |
| Vallentuna | 20 | 0.1% |
| Enköping | 27 | 0.1% |
| Huddinge | 63 | 0.1% |
Common questions about South Africans in Sweden
- How many South Africans live in Sweden?
- About 7,200 people in Sweden have an origin in South Africa (2025). Of them, about 4,600 were born in South Africa and 2,600 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
- Where in Sweden do most South Africans live?
- The most people born in South Africa live in Stockholm (651), Göteborg (304) and Malmö (210). Together, 30% of everyone born in South Africa lives in one of these three municipalities.
- Which municipality has the largest share of South Africans?
- Boden, where 0.2% of residents were born in South Africa. It is followed by Lund (0.1%) and Lidingö (0.1%).
- Is the number of South Africans in Sweden growing or shrinking?
- The number of people born in South Africa living in Sweden has grown from about 610 in 2000 to about 3,900 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from South Africa, the whole group has grown from about 5,200 in 2018 to about 7,200 in 2025.
- How many were born in Sweden to parents from South Africa?
- About 2,600. Of them, about 140 have two parents born in South Africa.
Good to know
- The lists above only count people born in South Africa. Where people born in Sweden with parents from South Africa 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 .
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