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Country profile

Swedish nationals in Japan

Total residents (2025)
2,135
Total Population of Sweden: ~10.5 million
Growth (past 10 years)
+18.3%
1,805 in 2015 → 2,135 in 2025

Top visa types (2025)

Permanent resident
481
Student
385
Spouse of Japanese
354
Engineer / Humanities
336
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The Average Swedish Migrant

Male profile

The average Swedish male in Japan is a permanent resident in his late thirties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age35–39
Top visaPermanent resident (26.0%)
2nd visaSpouse of Japanese (18.9%)
Population1,533 (71.8%)
Female profile

The average Swedish female in Japan is a student in her early twenties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age20–24
Top visaStudent (24.6%)
2nd visaDesignated activities (16.8%)
Population602 (28.2%)

Population over time

Total Swedish residents

Annual figures, 2006–2025 — hover the line for details
05001,0001,5002,0002,50020062010201520202025
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2024
Permanent resident Engineer / Humanities Spouse of Japanese Instructor Student Others

Visa Types

What do these visa types mean? →

Status of residence (2025)

Current snapshot
0 200 400 600 Permanent resident Permanent resident: 481 481 Student Student: 385 385 Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese: 354 354 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 336 336 Designated activities Designated activities: 241 241 Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent: 130 130 High-skilled professional High-skilled professional: 38 38 Intra-company transferee Intra-company transferee: 31 31 Long-term resident Long-term resident: 27 27 Business manager Business manager: 23 23 Professor Professor: 23 23 Spouse of PR Spouse of PR: 16 16
0 200 400 600 Permanent resident Permanent resident 2015: 259 Permanent resident 2025: 481 259 481 (2025) Student Student 2015: 617 617 385 (2025) Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese 2015: 263 Spouse of Japanese 2025: 354 263 354 (2025) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2015: 235 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2025: 336 235 336 (2025) Designated activities Designated activities 2015: 12 Designated activities 2025: 241 12 241 (2025) Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent 2015: 202 202 130 (2025) High-skilled professional High-skilled professional 2015: 4 High-skilled professional 2025: 38 4 38 (2025) Intra-company transferee Intra-company transferee 2015: 91 91 31 (2025) Long-term resident Long-term resident 2015: 16 Long-term resident 2025: 27 16 27 (2025) Business manager Business manager 2015: 29 29 23 (2025)
Where Sweden is heavier than rest of world Where Sweden is lighter (or absent) Student Swedish: 18.0% 18.0% Rest of world: 11.3% 11.3% Spouse of Japanese Swedish: 16.6% 16.6% Rest of world: 3.7% 3.7% Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Swedish: 15.7% 15.7% Rest of world: 11.5% 11.5% Designated activities Swedish: 11.3% 11.3% Rest of world: 3.0% 3.0% High-skilled professional Swedish: 1.8% 1.8% Rest of world: 0.8% 0.8% Intra-company transferee Swedish: 1.5% 1.5% Rest of world: 0.5% 0.5% Professor Swedish: 1.1% 1.1% Rest of world: 0.2% 0.2% Entertainer Swedish: 0.6% 0.6% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Cultural activities Swedish: 0.3% 0.3% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Researcher Swedish: 0.2% 0.2% Rest of world: 0.0% 0.0% Specified Skilled Worker Swedish: 0.1% 0.1% Rest of world: 9.5% 9.5% Special Permanent resident Swedish: 0.6% 0.6% Rest of world: 6.5% 6.5% Long-term resident Swedish: 1.3% 1.3% Rest of world: 5.5% 5.5% Family stay / Dependent Swedish: 6.1% 6.1% Rest of world: 8.6% 8.6% Skilled labour Swedish: 0.1% 0.1% Rest of world: 1.3% 1.3% Spouse of PR Swedish: 0.7% 0.7% Rest of world: 1.4% 1.4% Permanent resident Swedish: 22.5% 22.5% Rest of world: 23.0% 23.0% Instructor Swedish: 0.2% 0.2% Rest of world: 0.4% 0.4%

Demographics

Age distribution

All Swedish residents — five-year age brackets, December 2025
0 100 200 300 400 0–4: 34 34 0–4 5–9: 29 29 5–9 10–14: 32 32 10–14 15–19: 40 40 15–19 20–24: 323 323 20–24 25–29: 304 304 25–29 30–34: 333 333 30–34 35–39: 316 316 35–39 40–44: 235 235 40–44 45–49: 144 144 45–49 50–54: 108 108 50–54 55–59: 71 71 55–59 60–64: 60 60 60–64 65–69: 39 39 65–69 70–74: 24 24 70–74 75–79: 28 28 75–79 80+: 15 15 80+
MALE 男性 FEMALE 女性 0–4 15 19 5–9 12 17 10–14 16 16 15–19 24 16 20–24 183 140 25–29 196 108 30–34 247 86 35–39 258 58 40–44 191 44 45–49 117 27 50–54 93 15 55–59 55 16 60–64 51 9 65–69 34 5 70–74 11 13 75–79 21 7 80+ 9 6

Gender split

December 2025
Male: 1,533 (71.8%) Female: 602 (28.2%) 2,135 total
Male
1,533 (71.8%)
Female
602 (28.2%)

The Swedish community leans male (72%) and is the largest Nordic community in Japan: permanent residents (23%), students (18%) and spouses of Japanese nationals (17%).

Student: 148 (24.6%) Designated activities: 101 (16.8%) Permanent resident: 82 (13.6%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 77 (12.8%) Family stay / Dependent: 76 (12.6%) Spouse of Japanese: 65 (10.8%) Special Permanent resident: 8 (1.3%) Long-term resident: 8 (1.3%) Professor: 7 (1.2%) Spouse of PR: 5 (0.8%) Business manager: 4 (0.7%) Entertainer: 4 (0.7%) Instructor: 4 (0.7%) Other: 13 (2.2%) Total female 602
602 female Swedish residents — by status of residence
Student148
Designated activities101
Permanent resident82
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services77
Family stay / Dependent76
Spouse of Japanese65
Special Permanent resident8
Long-term resident8
Professor7
Spouse of PR5
Business manager4
Entertainer4
Instructor4
Other13
Permanent resident: 399 (26.0%) Spouse of Japanese: 289 (18.9%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 259 (16.9%) Student: 237 (15.5%) Designated activities: 140 (9.1%) Family stay / Dependent: 54 (3.5%) High-skilled professional: 35 (2.3%) Intra-company transferee: 28 (1.8%) Long-term resident: 19 (1.2%) Business manager: 19 (1.2%) Professor: 16 (1.0%) Spouse of PR: 11 (0.7%) Entertainer: 9 (0.6%) Other: 18 (1.2%) Total male 1,533
1,533 male Swedish residents — by status of residence
Permanent resident399
Spouse of Japanese289
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services259
Student237
Designated activities140
Family stay / Dependent54
High-skilled professional35
Intra-company transferee28
Long-term resident19
Business manager19
Professor16
Spouse of PR11
Entertainer9
Other18
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Female 602 Male 1,533

Where they live (2025)

By region — heat map

Hover or tap a region to see its breakdown.
Hokkaido Hokkaido 723 723 Tohoku Tohoku 518 518 Kanto Kanto 2,621 2,621 Chubu Chubu 1,926 1,926 Kansai Kansai 3,189 3,189 Chugoku Chugoku 487 487 Shikoku Shikoku 245 245 Kyushu Kyushu 1,158 1,158
Fewer
More
Selected region
Kanto
11,830
57.6% of Japan total
Top Visa Categories
Prefectures
Tokyo
7,596
Kanagawa
1,948
Chiba
1,018
Saitama
763
Ibaraki
231
Tochigi
138
Gunma
136

Highest and Lowest Prefectures

2025 Resident Counts
Top 10
Tokyo
Kanto
930
Kanagawa
Kanto
230
Osaka
Kansai
113
Kyoto
Kansai
91
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
86
Chiba
Kanto
80
Saitama
Kanto
79
Nagano
Chubu
68
Fukuoka
Kyushu
58
Aichi
Chubu
58
Bottom 10
Kagawa
Shikoku
1
Toyama
Chubu
1
Tottori
Chugoku
1
Aomori
Tohoku
1
Nagasaki
Kyushu
1
Akita
Tohoku
2
Saga
Kyushu
2
Kochi
Shikoku
2
Yamagata
Tohoku
2
Mie
Kansai
2

Prefecture Growth, 2015 to 2025

Absolute change in Swedish residents over the past decade
Largest increase
Kanagawa
Kanto
+84
Nagano
Chubu
+52
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
+52
Chiba
Kanto
+30
Saitama
Kanto
+17
Largest decrease
Tokyo
Kanto
-22
Kyoto
Kansai
-15
Gifu
Chubu
-10
Nagasaki
Kyushu
-7
Hyogo
Kansai
-6
0 250 500 750 1,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Tokyo Kanagawa Osaka Kyoto Hokkaido Chiba Saitama Nagano

Fun Fact

Sweden is the Nordic #1 in Japan at 2,135 residents — more than Denmark and Norway combined — with nearly half living in Tokyo.
Interested to know more about migration numbers in Japan?
Explore Overview →Immigration statistics for the whole of Japan — 4.13 million foreign residentsAll Nationalities/Regions →This page is one of 67 — explore every major community in Japan
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