At the beginning of 2010, Sweden’s population will be 9.34 million.

Emigration has decreased by 15 percent compared to 2008, with 38,000 residents moving abroad. The number of Swedish citizens relocating to Norway and Finland remained the same, but emigration to the US and UK decreased somewhat.

Immigration also contributed to the marked population growth. SCB estimates that 102,000 immigrants moved to Sweden in 2009. The largest group of immigrants are returning Swedish citizens, followed by Iraqis and Somalians. The number of Iraqi immigrants has dropped by about 30 percent compared to 2008, while the number of Somalian immigrants has increased by 50 percent.

Over the last decade, the number of births in Sweden has increased every year. In 2009, 54,000 girls and 57,000 boys were born, a total increase of 2 percent compared to 2008. At the same time, SCB estimates that the number of deaths has decreased by approximately 1 percent.

SCB also estimates that 14 percent of the Swedish population were born abroad. The largest group is made up of 173,000 people born in Finland, followed by 117,000 born in Iraq. Almost 400,000 individuals born in Sweden have two parents who were born abroad.