Domestic migration and mortality in Sweden 2001 to 2010

The aim of this study is to analyze mortality in relation to domestic migration. Swedish administrative registry data was used, and all Swedish born residents alive at the end of the year 2000 were included, 7,74 million people.

Migration was measured over the life course and defined as crossing the border of the birth municipality. This is the first time smaller geographic areas than birth counties has been analyzed for Sweden. We use three main groups of migration status: non-migrants, migrants and return migrants. Return migrants have lived part of their lives in another municipality but has returned to their birth municipality later.

Mortality was followed-up for the period 2001–2010. There were 833 000 deaths recorded. Measured by standardized mortality ratios, and for the entire country, domestic migrants had significantly low mortality, and non-migrants had significantly elevated mortality. Men who were classified as return migrants had the same elevated mortality as non-migrants. Among women return migrants had average mortality.

The variation in mortality by migration status differed by birth cohort and type of municipality. Preliminary findings from regression modeling suggest that education contributes to mortality differences by migration status in Sweden.