Where do people in low- and middle-income countries want to migrate?

According to data from the Gallup World Poll, 17 percent of the 6.6 billion people living in low- and middle-income countries want to move to another country. When asked where they want to move, 1 percent indicate Sweden (left figure). Although this is a low percentage compared to all other options, Sweden was more popular than the average in the rest of the EU adjusted for population. In many of the countries where more people want to go to Sweden (right figure), there are connections through previous migrants. But even in these countries, never more than one in ten indicates Sweden as a destination.

What does willingness to migrate mean?

Willingness to migrate is seen as the first step in a migration process and includes everything from ambitions and dreams to concrete intentions and plans, but which do not necessarily translate into actual migration. In some cases, individuals may be prevented from migrating by external circumstances, while others, despite a strong desire to migrate, choose to stay.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMI), what is it?

The World Bank classifies countries into four groups based on gross national income per capita. LMI countries are all countries except the high-income group (which includes Sweden).

The statistics cover the period 2016–2021 and are based on at least 1,000 interviews per country and year in 113 countries.