Chapter 10 · Sweden's modern history

Varför ökade Sveriges befolkning kraftigt under 1800-talet?

Why did Sweden’s population grow rapidly during the nineteenth century?

1Fler utvandrare återvände från AmerikaMore emigrants returned from America
✓Färre dog och fler barn överlevdeFewer people died and more children survived
3Fler invandrade för arbete i svenska fabrikerMore people immigrated to work in Swedish factories
4Fler landområden införlivades med SverigeMore territories were incorporated into Sweden

Correct answer: Fewer people died and more children survived

Better food supplies and medical advances helped more people survive. The population grew despite substantial emigration.

befolkning · population

Source: SCB: Sveriges folkmängd från 1749 och fram till idag · Folkmängd och befolkningsförändringar 1800–1899
Last checked: October 3, 2026

Fler utvandrare återvände från Amerika

Some emigrants returned, but they do not explain the century’s large population increase.

Fler invandrade för arbete i svenska fabriker

Large-scale labour immigration mainly belongs to the postwar period, not the explanation for nineteenth-century population growth.

Fler landområden införlivades med Sverige

The population grew through improved survival, not territorial expansion.