Sweden has earned 900 billion in immigration – and can win even more – Business Week

Immigration gives Sweden 65 extra tax billions each year, and is still profitable, according to a recent report from the Arena Ideas.

Immigration gives Sweden 65 extra tax billion – each year. It shows a report by the think tank Arena idea.

“This means that the Sweden Democrats’ idea of ​​funding the defense spending or saving the elderly by reducing immigration is simply not true,” says Sandro Scocco, chief economist at Arena Idea, DN.

By analyzing the SCB data where Sweden’s inhabitants were divided into two groups, one with a foreign background and a completely Swedish, has Scocco with Lars Fredrik Andersson, associate professor of economic history, based on immigration charges and income every year since 1950 – and reached a total profit of the entire 900 billion.

According to the report, Sweden had no immigration today had 2.5 million fewer inhabitants and the economy had been more than a fifth less. We had had worse railways, less defense and research of lower quality.

“Somewhat simplified, one can say that immigration historically mainly paid joint investments in defense, infrastructure and basic research,” says Sandro Scocco to DN.

The gains from immigration was reportedly much higher for 40-50 years ago, when many labor immigrants found their way to Sweden. But today covers the group of foreign origin of their own costs and provide even a small profit. This is because among the foreign-born are less expensive older and more of working age than in the group born in Sweden.

immigration can certainly often large initial costs, but all immigration should be as a long term investment, consider the authors of the report and compare with children: they cost a lot during childhood, but pays back when they start work.

“The key issue is to optimize investment through a balance between initial costs for education, labor market policies and social interventions and expected future returns, “says Sandro Scocco and believes that the crucial integration force is the situation on the labor market.

” If we manage to keep reasonably good speed on it becomes immigration a good deal, otherwise not. “