Sweden’s population experienced its biggest increase in seven decades in 2013, new statistics have shown, mainly because of the 115,000 immigrants who arrived on the country’s shores throughout the year.
The population of the Scandinavian country stood at 9,644,864 on the final day of 2013 – an increase of 0.93 per cent from the same day in 2012. This was the biggest rise since 1946, according to Statistics Sweden, who concluded that it was down to record numbers of immigrants arriving.
Some 115,845 immigrants arrived in Sweden last year, many from Somalia and Syria. Around 5,000 more men arrived than women. The country has never experienced a higher number of arrivals over a 12-month period.
Taking into account the number of births and deaths as well as emigration, the population of Sweden increased by nearly 89,000 people – 48,458 of whom were men and 40,519 were women.
The statistics agency said that 113,593 babies were born last year, with the most popular birthday being 11 April, when 393 children were born.
Sweden is by far the most populous Nordic country, with the population now closing in on 10 million people. Denmark, Finland and Norway all have a population greater of five million people, while Iceland’s population is around 322,000.