Indicator history

Sweden does not maintain official statistics concerning ethnic origin other than citizenship and country of birth. The main rule according to the Swedish Personal Data Act (1998:204) states that ’[...] the maintenance of personal data that reveals race or ethnic origin is prohibited’.[1] In the opinions delivered by the Advisory Committee established under the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) the lack of data was critiqued as contributing to the complication of the formulation, implementation, evaluation and improvement of minority policies.

As regards the main groups of  pupils in primary education with a foreign background, there are some indications from Statistic Sweden (SCB)  based on citizenship and country of birth that shows that the main groups are from Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Somalia.

[1] Personuppgiftslag (1998:204) 13 § http://www.notisum.se/rnp/SLS/lag/19980204.HTM (accessed 2012-03-10).

Statistic Sweden (Statistiska Central Byrån, SCB), http://www.scb.se/statistik/_publikationer/LE0105_2011A01_BR_BE57BR1101.pdf (accessed 2012-03-10).