When brave and desperate people like Karl-Oskar and Kristina left Sweden, they did so mainly 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 middle of the 19th century and the middle of the 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 around us has gotten increasingly better infrastructure and it has become easier and cheaper to travel, this "moving abroad" has suddenly become something of an initiation trip, a must in life. Nowadays, many people choose to try living in several different countries during their lifetime. In 2011, 5,761 Swedes moved abroad. It is the highest figure since the 19th century.

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

According to statistics from "Swedes in the World", the largest number of Swedes living abroad live in the USA, more precisely 100,000. Spain and Great Britain follow with 90,000, closely followed by Norway, which houses 80,000 Swedes. Then a big gap follows 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 the Solkusten . Traditionally, the big Swedish village has been Fuengirola, but mass tourism has eroded the area's charm. Now many instead turn their eyes to the villages that lie east of Malaga . What mainly attracts Swedes here is the bold and unspoiled nature and that the area has preserved "the Spanish soul". [caption id="attachment_2184" align="alignnone" width="220"] The dream of moving abroad is strong[/caption]