The number of people awarded Swedish citizenship fell by more than half in June after new stricter rules came into force, new statistics from the Migration Agency have shown.

Only 1,646 were granted citizenship in June, down from 3,970 in May, the new statistics showed, a month-on-month fall of 58 percent.

At the same time, 3,259 applicants refused citizenship, taking the rejection rate to 66 percent. This is well above the average 35 percent rejection rate for 2026 as a whole.

However, when compared to the 1,501 granted citizenship in June 2025 – when awards were constrained by the recent introduction of in-person visits – the number of citizenships granted was actually up slightly.

Which countries are worst affected?

Syrians, Afghans, Eritreans, Poles, and Indians – the five nationalities which together account for over a third of citizenships granted in 2026 – saw the biggest falls in awards.

Only 114 Syrians, 66 Afghans, 75 Eritreans, 96 Poles and 75 Indians were granted Swedish citizenship in June, 
down respectively from 539, 243, 233, 171, and 219 citizenships awarded in May.

Which countries were least affected?

The Nordic countries Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland all saw a sharp rise in the number of citizenships awarded month on month, with the number awarded rising respectively from 15 to 81, 27 to 62, 25 to 167, and 2 to 18.

With 167 new Swedish citizens, Finland in June leapfrogged Syria and Afghanistan as the country with the most nationals becoming citizens in June.