A literature review and secondary analysis of the descriptive representation of foreign-born men and foreign-born women in Sweden’s local councils and parliament

Sweden is often seen as a role model country in terms of women’s descriptive political representation. Nevertheless, both women and men with a foreign-born background are still underrepresented in the Swedish parliament (Riksdag) and in municipality councils, indicating a democratic deficit. In this literature review, we examine studies which have been published 2000–2025 and focus on foreign-born men and women’s political representation in Sweden. Emphasis is put on both descriptives and underlying causes and correlates. The review, which is based on 20 studies, highlights a variety of themes and factors which are associated with Sweden’s high degree of political representation of female members of parliaments (MPs) in general, inclusive of some studies with an intersectional approach. For instance, discrimination and labor market integration are linked to both malign obstacles and benign possibilities for a more politically equal society. A complementary quantitative analysis suggests that high-income municipalities have a higher percentage of elected foreign-born women.