Despite promises – Sweden grants second-highest EU citizenships per capita

Sweden continues to stand out as one of Europe’s most borderless and generous countries when it comes to granting citizenship to migrants.

According to recent Eurostat statistics, Sweden grants the most citizenships per capita in the EU, apart from tiny Luxembourg. This is despite the ruling coalition parties (Tidö) promising a “paradigm shift” in immigration policy.

In 2023, Spain granted the most citizenships in absolute terms, with over 240,000 new passports, followed by Italy (214,000) and Germany (200,000). But when the numbers are put in relation to the size of the population, the picture changes dramatically.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with a population of just 680 000, tops the list with 8.8 citizenships per thousand inhabitants, followed by Sweden in second place with 6.4. Spain comes third with 5.0, and Italy drops to fifth place with 3.6.

Sweden also stands out in naturalization rates – the percentage of foreign nationals living in the country who are granted citizenship. At 7.9%, Sweden topped the EU in 2023, meaning that almost eight out of every hundred foreign nationals in the country became Swedish citizens. Romania followed with 5.9% and Italy with 4.1%. The EU average, by comparison, was 2.6%.

It is worth noting that the Tidö parties campaigned on a tougher immigration policy and have promised to tighten citizenship rules, including extending the period of residence from the current five years to at least eight years, as well as introducing requirements for Swedish language skills and a declaration of loyalty. Despite this, 66,000 citizenships were granted in 2024, according to the Migration Agency, only a marginal decrease from 68,000 the year before.

Internal frustration

The lack of concrete measures to stop mass migration has led many Sweden Democrats to react with frustration – even high-ranking ones.

Last November, for example, Member of Parliament Josef Fransson called for a moratorium on citizenship in a written question to the government, stating that “despite the mandate we received from the voters, Sweden continues to hand out citizenship generously to foreigners who do not meet the requirements stipulated in the Tidö Agreement“.

He pointed out that the number of new citizenships granted during the Moderate-led government’s rule in 2023 corresponded to the entire population of Skövde.

Questions about the Moderates’ intentions

In January 2025, the report “Stricter requirements for Swedish citizenship” was presented, proposing a longer period of residence and requirements for self-sufficiency. However, the reforms are not expected to enter into force until June 1, 2026, which means that Sweden will continue to follow the current more generous rules until then.

However, many observers question what effect the proposed changes will actually have in practice. Critics stress that Sweden continues to experience large-scale mass migration, and that the government should rather focus on ambitious re-immigration programs to tackle immigration-related problems.

Several observers have also questioned whether the Moderates and the other liberal parties in government have any genuine desire to change Sweden’s migration policy course. Critics say it is largely a matter of rhetoric and symbolic gestures – in order to retain power, not lose voters and maintain cooperation with the Sweden Democrats, on whose support the government depends.