Moving to Sweden from Afghanistan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Afghanistan to Sweden — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Afghanistan to Sweden, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Stockholm averages 52°F vs 67°F in Kabul, making it significantly cooler.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Afghanistan to Sweden, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Afghanistan to Sweden · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Afghanistan and Sweden stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Afghanistan generally does better on environment, though Sweden leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Sweden performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Sweden generally does better on employment & economy, though Afghanistan leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Sweden performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all family life metrics.
Data: Afghanistan Revenue Department, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kabul | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/25°F (8°/-4°C) | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/56°F (31°/13°C) | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/31°F (15°/-1°C) | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kabul | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/19°F (4.5°/-7.1°C) | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 42°/22°F (5.5°/-5.7°C) | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 54°/33°F (12.5°/0.7°C) | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) |
| May | 76°/48°F (24.4°/8.8°C) | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 86°/54°F (30.2°/12.4°C) | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 90°/58°F (32.0°/14.3°C) | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) |
| Sep | 83°/49°F (28.5°/9.4°C) | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 72°/39°F (22.4°/3.9°C) | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) |
| Nov | 59°/30°F (15.0°/-1.2°C) | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) |
| Dec | 47°/24°F (8.3°/-4.7°C) | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Afghanistan and Sweden. To live, work, or study long-term in Sweden, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sweden's immigration authority.
Afghanistan passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa Required
Sweden passport holder visiting Afghanistan
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Sweden?
With 40.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sweden can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Afghanistan and Sweden.
Is Sweden safe for expats?
Sweden performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.0 in Afghanistan.
How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Afghanistan?
Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 71.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 2.5 in Afghanistan. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Afghanistan: 41).
What's the weather like in Sweden compared to Afghanistan?
The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 67°F in Kabul. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Kabul gets 12.3 in.
What language do they speak in Sweden?
The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Afghanistan, the official languages are Dari, Pashto and Turkmen.
