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SWEDEN · OFFICIAL DATA

Foreign-born crime trends

Recorded justice outcomes over the years.

Historical study · 2007–2018. Foreign-born includes naturalized citizens. Newer non-citizen prison data are available in the dataset menu.

Foreign-born people

Drug-law offences

Sweden · registered population aged 15+ · Foreign-born suspects · Brå study (2007–2018)

Data 2007–2018 · Source retrieved 17 Sept 2026

Retrieval confirms when the source was collected, not that the underlying figures describe today.

Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå)

Published 25 Aug 2021 · Retrieved 17 Sept 2026

Source period: 2007-01-012018-12-31

Release schedule: Occasional research study.

Next release: Historical study · next update planned for late 2026 (2019–2024 data)

Publisher’s release plan checked 17 Sept 2026; timing may change.

How updates are checked →
93,594
Selected period totalpeople · foreign-born people2007–2018

Sum of annual person counts for the selected years. A person can appear in more than one year; this is not a count of unique people or crimes.

Foreign-born people over time

20072018

These are recorded suspects, not findings of guilt or convictions.

Definitions & limitations

Historical government study of registered suspects aged 15 or older in the Swedish population register, 2007–2018. This series classifies birthplace, not citizenship: foreign-born includes naturalized citizens and excludes Sweden-born children of immigrants. It is separate from the current non-citizen prison dataset. Suspects are not convicted offenders. Each person can recur across categories or years; period totals are person-year counts. Changes in law, recording and population composition affect trends. The 2018 consent law changed sexual-offence definitions; the chart marks that boundary. Categories overlap and must not be added together. Birthplace does not identify citizenship or immigration status.

This dataset identifies foreign-born people, including naturalized citizens; it does not isolate non-citizens. Counts are not population rates, and changes can reflect reporting, enforcement or justice-system practices.

Yearly data

Foreign-born people: Drug-law offences, Sweden · registered population aged 15+. people.
PeriodForeign-born people · peopleSource notes
2018 · calendar year11,556
2017 · calendar year9,710
2016 · calendar year8,419
2015 · calendar year7,867
2014 · calendar year7,762
2013 · calendar year7,125
2012 · calendar year7,518
2011 · calendar year7,272
2010 · calendar year7,180
2009 · calendar year6,890
2008 · calendar year6,460
2007 · calendar year5,835

Foreign-born and naturalized-citizen series are not separately reported in these datasets. Naturalized citizens are included in citizen counts and are not added to this graph. Data coverage →