According to Statistics Sweden (SCB), almost 10.35 million people are now registered in Sweden. However, the authority itself admitted it has no firm grasp on the exact number of residents.
Population statistics are compiled by Statistics Sweden based on the Tax Agency's population register. Yet, with an ever-growing population living in a parallel society, these numbers are lagging behind. It is impossible to know how many people are staying in Sweden illegally. There have been multiple reports of people living under more than one identity and receiving benefits under more than one name.
"In the official population statistics, we deal with the population registered. People who are not registered are not included", Marie Lidéus, head of a unit at Statistics Sweden, told the newspaper Skånska Dagbladet.
Recently, a political wish for a physical census in so-called vulnerable areas that are often seen as ethnic enclaves, has started to take shape. Proponents of this measure believe that this may be both expensive and difficult, but necessary to get a correct picture of the population.
According to a Swedish Tax Agency estimate, there are approximately 119,000 people today registered at the wrong address. The proportion of unregistered residents in vulnerable areas is unknown but has been assumed to be rather high.
"If we were to conduct door-to-door interviews, we would possibly be able to capture more people. People do not always open the door. But theoretically, a physical census in a vulnerable area can provide a good basis for comparing register data and discovering shortcomings", Lidéus mused.
The EU requires its member states to hold population and housing censuses once a decade to make statistics comparable between countries. In Sweden, the most recent was implemented in 2011 based on register data. The next is due in 2021.
So-called "black contracts" and illegal subletting creates chaos in the population register, something that is common in immigrant-dense areas. However, register cheating is not limited to vulnerable areas.
On Sweden's west coast, there are many holiday homes used for year-round living despite their owners being registered elsewhere. Not only does it make municipalities lose important tax revenues, but has led to conflicts between municipalities over providing care during the COVID-19 crisis.
"Many are registered in low-tax municipalities such as Gothenburg and Stockholm, despite spending most of the year on the west coast. We small coastal municipalities cannot compete in terms of taxation", Catharina Bråkenhielm, chair of the municipal board in Orust, said.
Registering at the wrong address is illegal and owing to a recent change in law in July 2018 is punishable by a fine or imprisonment, in case of repeated offences for up to two years.
The first census in Sweden was conducted in 1749, counting just under 1.8 million people.
Today, Sweden's official population exceeds 10.35 million, with men outnumbering women.
On 31 December 2019, 10,327,589 people were registered in Sweden. At that time, 64,039 more men than women were registered. Since the majority of those staying in the country illegally are estimated to be men, the actual bias is probably even greater.
More people immigrate to Sweden than children are born each year. According to figures published by Skånska Dagbladet, approximately 115,000 children are born per year and 116,000 people immigrated in 2019.
According to the Swedish Migration Agency's calculations, almost a quarter of a million immigrants could be granted citizenship over the next three years. If the immigration committee's proposal for more temporary and fewer permanent residence permits gets adopted, the figure could be even higher.
At the same time, almost 47,800 people emigrated, most of them Swedes. The most common known destinations are Denmark, the UK, and Norway.
