Indicator history

Sweden is reported as one of the EU member states were the proportion of foreign born persons aged 20-64 are at risk of poverty after social transfers. This risk is over 12 percentage points higher than the proportion for the total population in this age group (Eurostat: Methodologies & Working papers, Indicators of Immigrant Integration, A Pilot Study,  http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-RA-11-009/EN/KS-RA-11-009-EN.PDF p.184). 

The migrant population, particularly those born outside the EU tend to have a higher risk of poverty than other sections of the community. The at-risk-of-poverty rate is as high as 30% in Sweden in 2007 (European Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Social Situation Observatory – Living Conditions and Income Distribution 2010,  http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=6722&langId=en p. 11).

The disadvantage of households with a relatively large number of migrants is particularly high in  Sweden  where the at-risk-of-poverty rate for such households is at least three times more than that of households with no migrant members (European Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Social Situation Observatory – Living Conditions and Income Distribution 2010,  http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=6722&langId=en p.13)

One of the most debated issues surrounding housing is the increasing number of immigrant children living in poor neighbourhoods. Save the Children published the annual report about child poverty in February 2011. It was stated that children living with single parents in ethnic segregated neighbourhoods are affected by poverty the most. It is estimated that 49% of children living with single parents with a migrant background live in poor housing conditions and in poverty. In 2008, about 220,000 children lived in poverty – that is, 11.5% of all children in Sweden. It is the highest figure since the investigation was initiated in 2002. In Malmö, child poverty is estimated to be 31%. In Rosengård in Malmö, which is a predominantly a migrant neighbourhood, more than 61.4% of the children live in poverty. [1]

European Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Social Situation Observatory – Living Conditions and Income Distribution 2010,

http://http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=6722&langId=en

Eurostat: Methodologies & Working papers, Indicators of Immigrant Integration, A Pilot Study, http://http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-RA-11-009/EN/KS-RA-11-009-EN.PDF