• Sweden edition

Population up despite financial crisis: report

Published: 17 Aug 09 08:35 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/21504/20090817/

Sweden's population increased to almost 9.3 million people during the first half of 2009, new figures indicate.

Fewer people emigrating from Sweden and a continued high birthrate are the reasons behind the increase - despite the economic crisis.

Historically the birthrate has often closely followed the economic cycle.

During the crisis-hit 1930s and 1990s the birthrate declined and statisticians had expected the same pattern to develop this time around. But as yet the effects of the credit crunch have not filtered through to the bedroom.

During the first half of 2009 56,251 were born in Sweden, 216 more than during the corresponding period of last year, according to Statistics Sweden (SCB).

One of the factors behind the trend is that many prospective parents may have already delayed the decision to have children. During recent years the average age of first-time parents has increased significantly and it is argued that many simply do not have the luxury of waiting in the good times.

The first half of 2009 also experienced a low death rate relative to births, with 46,857 passing away.

Furthermore only 3,881 people moved overseas, resulting in a immigration surplus of 27,097.

By June 30th the Swedish population amounted to 9,292,359 people.

It is primarily emigration to the UK and the USA that has declined, by around 30 percent in comparison to the corresponding period of last year. Fewer are also making the move to Finland and Norway, while emigration to Denmark is increasing.

TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Fark It! Digg This  Share everywhere
Send to a friend Printable version Twitter This

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

08:54 August 17, 2009 by Puffin
Surely the headline is a little misleading here - births during the first half of 2009 would all have had to have been concieved between around March and October 2008 - so really before the major effects of the crisis became apparent in September/October 2008
09:02 August 17, 2009 by Renfeh Hguh
Come off it Puffin, you should know by now that the editors here don't let facts get in the way of a good headline :)
09:21 August 17, 2009 by peropaco
The birth-rate increase could be attributed to two factors:

1. Bertil could no longer afford to go to Thailand and spend his money on cheap beers and very young girls/boys or

2. Malin decided it was time to change; shed a bit of the grease, wide hips and become a bit more sexually active with her husband-partner, as opposed to getting drunk each Friday and banging her way back to sobriety
09:32 August 17, 2009 by bolababu
@ peropaco, ..thats a major answer and very true! but you are on your own when the red-necks wake up.
10:01 August 17, 2009 by peropaco
@ bolababu, LOL. Yep, lest see what the staggering and overexcited red-necks will say but I am more than certain they will agree.. ;-)))))))))
11:08 August 17, 2009 by Irishmanabroad
There could be another reason;

Boss: Hi Ms Svensson, I need to have a chat with you in my office later together with the HR director

Ms Svensson: Actually, I've been meaning to have a chat with you. My husband and I are having a child.

Boss: Bugger, now we can't let you go. That's unfair dismissal. So, when are you hoping to take your 18months maternity leave.

Ms Svensson: Oh, about 8months and 2 weeks from now. So, in about 26months and 2 weeks, I'd say the current finiancial unpleasentness may have ended at which point I can come back to work and my job will be secure. And 2 months later, child no.2 will have been conceived. God how I love my country!

I worked at an Automotive company in the UK which offerred 1year maternity leave (which is bloody rare)and suddenly, most of the limited population of female employees all became pregnant within a short period of time. Just so happens it coincided with the downturn and expected job losses! Fair enough!
11:19 August 17, 2009 by peropaco
Good one Irishmanabroad. I have a friend that had three kids in a row and she is not expected back to work till some time in 2012
20:50 August 17, 2009 by wxman
OK, so fewer people are emmigrating and the deathrate is down. Both of those are good for Swedes. However, has anyone analyzed the demographic breakdown of the births? I'll bet you anything that the bulk, shall we say, don't look like Vikings.
01:49 August 18, 2009 by DreEstwd
Wxman is right on the money.
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Swedish blogger snaps commuting 'macho men'

Swedish blogger snaps commuting 'macho men'

A Stockholm woman fed up with male passengers on public transport taking up the space of women sitting next to them, has started a blog snapping secret pics of straddle-legged commuters and posting them on the internet. READ (34 COMMENTS) »

Swedish town gives 'Negro Village' new name

Swedish town gives 'Negro Village' new name

A suburb of Mjällby, southern Sweden, known by locals as ‘Negro Village’ for forty years, will be changing its name after a storm of recent attention. READ (12 COMMENTS) »

German 'tourist' living in Gothenburg airport

A 27-year-old German man has been living at the Gothenburg Landvetter airport for two months having no wish to return to Germany and nowhere to go in Sweden. READ (12 COMMENTS) »

Dramatic rise in dementia numbers in Sweden

Dramatic rise in dementia numbers in Sweden

Every second Swede is at risk of developing dementia, according to a new study from Umeå University, which concentrated on the 85+ population in northern Sweden. READ (2 COMMENTS) »

Masked man raped cyclist in Malmö park

After a 28-year-old woman was pulled off her bicycle and raped by an unidentified assailant in Malmö over the weekend, and police are fearing it could be the work of a budding serial rapist. READ (16 COMMENTS) »

Narcolepsy victims in new compensation bid

Narcolepsy victims in new compensation bid

Families of children in Sweden suffering from narcolepsy caused by vaccination for the swine flu can expect some form of compensation, Swedish health minister Göran Hägglund said on Sunday in response to new calls for help from parents. READ (1 COMMENT) »

Löfven ready to negotiate over nuclear power

Löfven ready to negotiate over nuclear power

The new leader of the Social Democrats Stefan Löfven has indicated he's ready to negotiate with the government over the future of nuclear power despite a previous party decision to phase out nuclear energy in Sweden. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

One in five Swedes 'believes in ghosts'

One in five Swedes 'believes in ghosts'

One in five Swedes believes that people rise from the grave after they've died, a new survey has shown. READ (15 COMMENTS) »

More Society

Highlights from Follow Sweden

20 things to know before moving to Sweden

As diverse as Sweden is, there are a few societal norms that are distinctly Swedish. Understanding a handful of them will hopefully prepare you culturally before you relocate. When you're invited home to a Swede, you better be on time and take your shoes off, writes expat Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Read more »

How far can English take you in Sweden?

Sweden is a country where almost everyone can speak English. So why bother to learn Swedish? Edina Varnagy from Hungary managed with English for a whole year but then found that Swedish could open doors – to a job, a social life and greater understanding. Read more »


Blog Update: Julie's Nordic Island

12 February 21:30

The consciousness of one »

"The ice dripped in the winter sun. It was the first day when the light had been intense enough to cause dripping in the sunlight. To hear it was an extraordinary wakeup call. The cycle was happening again as it always does, always will (or so we think). I imagined that on my summer island, the bees..." READ »

Highlights
The Local
SOCIETY »
The Local's Oliver Gee finds out why the star of Sweden's version of 'The Office' thinks Sweden is the most PC country in the world
Micheal Brauer/Flickr (File)
SCIENCE & TECH »
'Drunkorexia' on the rise in Sweden: report
Alexander Lervik and Johan Carper
LIFESTYLE »
Seven Swedish designs that will blow your mind
Eva Rinadi Celebrity and Live Music Photography/Flickr
SOCIETY »
Star Wars in Swedish causes fan outrage
www.dotoday.se
LIFESTYLE »
What's On: The Local's guide to upcoming attractions and events in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.
OLIKA Publishing
OPINION »
The Swedish language needs a new pronoun free of preconceived notions about gender, a Swedish linguist and representatives from a publishing house argue
Madonna set for July 4th concert in Sweden
SOCIETY »
Madonna set for July 4th concert in Sweden
TV4
GALLERY »
An inside look at 'The Office' in Swedish
Georgios M.W (File)
SOCIETY »
Swedish mother gave 3-year-old cigs and beer
Photo: Fredrik Persson/Scanpix
SOCIETY »
A duvet cover designed to look like cardboard boxes, on sale at a luxury department store in Stockholm, has some arguing that the city's homeless are being exploited for profit.
Ann Catrin Brockman/Flickr (File)
LIFESTYLE »
Five Swedish songs that never made Eurovision
Q&A with Swenglish comedy star Ben Kersley
LIFESTYLE »
Swenglish comedy star Ben Kersley explains how ‘three bespectacled English guys’ plan to make Swedes laugh
Photo: Screenshot YouTube
SOCIETY »
Move over Bugs – a Swedish bunny is rapidly becoming the most popular rabbit in the world!
Photo: Sony Pictures
SPONSORED ARTICLE
How Millennium films tap deep into Swedish angst
Photo: Helena Wahlman
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Braving the cold: Ten reasons to spend winter in Sweden
Photo: ECLA
SPONSORED ARTICLE
A truly international education at the heart of Berlin
Highlights from Follow Sweden
Swedish word of the day

fin

adjective

Fin means anyhting from sweet to proper. When someone says, Du är så fin it's quite a compliment.

Latest news from The Local in Germany

More news from Germany at thelocal.de

Latest news from The Local in Switzerland

More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch

Latest news from The Local in France

More news from France at thelocal.fr

Latest news from The Local in Norway

More news from Norway at thelocal.no

Blog
Highlights from Follow Sweden
New book about Sweden – get to know the country

Sweden – Up North, Down to Earth is a book about Sweden today. A country of natural beauty and open space, and a society focused on equality, human rights and sustainability. Meet regular and astonishing Swedes, supercars and indie rock bands, vampires and royalties.

Buy your copy of Sweden – Up North, Down to Earth from Sweden Bookshop

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »

Jobs in Sweden, in English

512 jobs available
216 new jobs this week
0 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Get on the Tennis Court with www.babolatshop.se
The new Online Tennis Store with the largest selection of Babolat Products in Sweden
http://www.babolatshop.se
Turning Point Counseling
Turning Point Counselling centre offers the international community of Stockholm a safe space for personal development, counselling and coaching.
http://www.turning-point.se/show.asp
Swedish Down Town
Swedish Down Town PR Consulting and Productions is an innovative business company which provides valuable assistance with Public Relations and Communications in the swedish and the international market.
www.swedishdowntown.com
The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
English Speaking Therapist Stockholm
British-Australian Male Counsellor. Counselling Therapy for Depression, Mental Health, Sex, Relationship & Expat Issues
08-559 22 636 or CLICK HERE
Counseling in English
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Doctor of Psychology
Therapy in English in Stockholm Trained in California Individuals & Couples (08) 93 81 48 FREE phone consultation
Visit anxiousorblue.se