Beyond Migration Background How Race and Religion Matter for Integration Outcomes

Abstract

Sweden’s reliance on country of birth as the primary measure of inequality reflects a universalist ideology but obscures important dynamics of exclusion that are better captured by considering race and religion alongside migration background. Using new diversity and equality data from Malmö, the study shows that country of birth best explains generational and structural aspects of integration, while race is the strongest predictor of discrimination and social recognition, and religion—particularly Muslim identity—adds an additional layer of symbolic exclusion. The findings demonstrate that migration background alone provides an incomplete picture of inequality, supporting the need for multidimensional, carefully designed equality data to better understand and address exclusion.