When brave and desperate people like Karl-Oskar and Kristina left Sweden, they did so primarily to start a new life, to escape starvation and mass unemployment. Hundreds of thousands of Swedes emigrated from Sweden and out into the world between the mid-19th century and the mid-20th century. Most never returned home.

Then Sweden became a rich and well-developed country. Moving abroad felt like moving to a worse alternative. However, this perception did not last long.

As our world has become more and more well-developed and it has become easier and cheaper to travel, suddenly “moving abroad” has become something of an initiation journey, a must in life. Many people these days choose to try living in several different countries during their lives. In 2011, 5,761 Swedes moved abroad. This is the highest number since the 19th century.

The most common reason for moving abroad is work, closely followed by “the sun”. It is expected that the number of Swedes moving abroad because they want a better climate, a more relaxed culture and a better quality of life will increase significantly in the coming decades. Work-related “emigration” will probably also increase.

According to statistics from "Swedes in the World", the most Swedes living abroad live in the USA, more precisely 100,000. Then follow Spain and the UK with 90,000, closely followed by Norway which is home to 80,000 Swedes. Then follows a large gap and the next country on the list, France, has "only" 30,000 Swedes living in the country. Germany and Switzerland have 17,000 each.

The area in the world, outside the country's borders, where the most Swedes live is probably Costa Del SolTraditionally, the large Swedish village has been Fuengirola, but mass tourism has eroded the area's charm. Now many people are turning their attention to the villages that lie east of Malaga. What primarily attracts Swedes here is the bold and unspoiled nature and the fact that the area has preserved "the Spanish soul". [caption id="attachment_2184" align="alignnone" width="220"] The dream of moving abroad is strong[/caption]