Kommunlotsen / Origin / South Korea
South Koreans in Sweden: how many and where do they live?
Origin South Korea: how large the group is, where it lives and how it has changed.
About 23,000 people in Sweden have an origin in South Korea (2025). Of them, about 12,000 were born in South Korea and 11,000 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
The most people born in South Korea live in Stockholm (2,304), Göteborg (830) and Malmö (476). The largest share of residents is in Solna (0.4%), Danderyd (0.3%) and Täby (0.3%).
By origin in South Korea we mean people who were born in South Korea, or who were born in Sweden and have at least one parent born in South Korea.
How large is the group in Sweden?
| Born in South Korea | 11,898 |
|---|---|
| Born in Sweden, both parents from South Korea | 310 |
| Born in Sweden, parents from South Korea and another country | 1,041 |
| Born in Sweden, one parent from South Korea | 9,742 |
How has the number changed?
The number of people born in South Korea living in Sweden has grown from about 8,500 in 2000 to about 11,000 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from South Korea, the whole group has grown from about 21,000 in 2018 to about 23,000 in 2025.
Change in the municipalities with the most people born in South Korea
People born in South Korea living in the municipality, 2015 compared with 2025.
| Municipality | 2015 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 2,043 | 2,304 | +261 (+13%) |
| Göteborg | 735 | 830 | +95 (+13%) |
| Malmö | 356 | 476 | +120 (+34%) |
| Uppsala | 287 | 342 | +55 (+19%) |
| Solna | 233 | 314 | +81 (+35%) |
| Västerås | 197 | 241 | +44 (+22%) |
| Täby | 180 | 227 | +47 (+26%) |
| Linköping | 212 | 224 | +12 (+6%) |
| Nacka | 201 | 222 | +21 (+10%) |
| Sollentuna | 208 | 214 | +6 (+3%) |
Source: Statistics Sweden (SCB). The number born in South Korea is the sum over all municipalities, year by year. Everyone with roots in South Korea is only available nationally and from 2018.
Municipalities with the most people born in South Korea
Number is the people born in South Korea 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 Korea in the country.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 2,304 | 0.2% |
| Göteborg | 830 | 0.1% |
| Malmö | 476 | 0.1% |
| Uppsala | 342 | 0.1% |
| Solna | 314 | 0.4% |
| Västerås | 241 | 0.1% |
| Täby | 227 | 0.3% |
| Linköping | 224 | 0.1% |
| Nacka | 222 | 0.2% |
| Sollentuna | 214 | 0.3% |
| Lund | 208 | 0.2% |
| Umeå | 194 | 0.1% |
| Jönköping | 183 | 0.1% |
| Örebro | 172 | 0.1% |
| Huddinge | 161 | 0.1% |
| Norrköping | 141 | 0.1% |
| Borås | 133 | 0.1% |
| Helsingborg | 123 | 0.1% |
| Mölndal | 121 | 0.2% |
| Järfälla | 120 | 0.1% |
| Sundsvall | 120 | 0.1% |
| Skellefteå | 110 | 0.1% |
| Eskilstuna | 109 | 0.1% |
| Växjö | 107 | 0.1% |
| Sundbyberg | 105 | 0.2% |
Largest share of residents
Municipalities with at least 20 people born in South Korea, sorted by their share of the municipality's residents.
| Municipality | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solna | 314 | 0.4% |
| Danderyd | 103 | 0.3% |
| Täby | 227 | 0.3% |
| Sollentuna | 214 | 0.3% |
| Stockholm | 2,304 | 0.2% |
| Nacka | 222 | 0.2% |
| Sundbyberg | 105 | 0.2% |
| Lidingö | 84 | 0.2% |
| Mölndal | 121 | 0.2% |
| Lomma | 41 | 0.2% |
| Tyresö | 82 | 0.2% |
| Lund | 208 | 0.2% |
| Västerås | 241 | 0.1% |
| Skellefteå | 110 | 0.1% |
| Umeå | 194 | 0.1% |
| Båstad | 23 | 0.1% |
| Huddinge | 161 | 0.1% |
| Österåker | 70 | 0.1% |
| Ekerö | 40 | 0.1% |
| Härryda | 55 | 0.1% |
| Värmdö | 64 | 0.1% |
| Uppsala | 342 | 0.1% |
| Älmhult | 24 | 0.1% |
| Göteborg | 830 | 0.1% |
| Staffanstorp | 37 | 0.1% |
Common questions about South Koreans in Sweden
- How many South Koreans live in Sweden?
- About 23,000 people in Sweden have an origin in South Korea (2025). Of them, about 12,000 were born in South Korea and 11,000 were born in Sweden to at least one parent from there.
- Where in Sweden do most South Koreans live?
- The most people born in South Korea live in Stockholm (2,304), Göteborg (830) and Malmö (476). Together, 32% of everyone born in South Korea lives in one of these three municipalities.
- Which municipality has the largest share of South Koreans?
- Solna, where 0.4% of residents were born in South Korea. It is followed by Danderyd (0.3%) and Täby (0.3%).
- Is the number of South Koreans in Sweden growing or shrinking?
- The number of people born in South Korea living in Sweden has grown from about 8,500 in 2000 to about 11,000 in 2025. Including people born in Sweden to parents from South Korea, the whole group has grown from about 21,000 in 2018 to about 23,000 in 2025.
- How many were born in Sweden to parents from South Korea?
- About 11,000. Of them, about 310 have two parents born in South Korea.
Good to know
- The lists above only count people born in South Korea. Where people born in Sweden with parents from South Korea 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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