The Local’s readers are more upbeat about 2026 than they were in our New Year survey a year ago, with many expecting an economic rebound, better personal finances and even a pause in Sweden’s migration clampdown.

This time last year, there was a lot of doom and gloom around, with readers telling us they feared a worsening economy, poor job prospects, and ever more restrictive immigration policies, and particularly a tightening of citizenship laws. They weren’t wrong. The government has announced plans to increase the wait for citizenship from five years until eight, and brought in security checks that halved the number of citizenships granted.

This year, there’s some hope from readers we surveyed that things will improve, albeit tempered with a healthy dash of scepticism.

"If the war in Ukraine finishes, if Trump doesn’t get any crazier and if the Sweden Democrats do not win the election, I guess life will be better," said a Brazilian working for Volvo in Gothenburg.

Migration policy turns around

Several readers hoped for what a system architect based in Stockholm described as a "pragmatic shift" on immigration. The need for faster integration and recruitment of skilled immigrants, would he hoped, lead to a "cultural backlash" which he said would require the country to look again at "Swedish identity".

A data scientist working in Stockholm said his hunch was that the full slate of laws the government has proposed tightening citizenship and other aspects of migration, most of whom are waiting for a formal proposition to be sent to parliament, would not end up entering into law.

"The strict citizenship rules proposed in the inquiry will not be fully implemented, at least not in its current form or by the proposed date," he predicted. "Call it faith or optimism, but I sense a positive shift."

An automation engineer who works in Skellefteå said his biggest wish was that some immigrants be spared the increase in the eligibility period for citizenship.

"I hope that the government gives concessions to the 8-year rule for people who have a stable job and good social credit," he said, adding that he didn’t expect this to actually happen.

But he predicted that moves to make immigration law stricter would be accompanied by even harsher rhetoric.

"The news coming from the government makes me think me and my family won’t be welcome in the future," he said. "It makes me think twice of putting down firm roots. I am not certain, if next year a harder-line government comes to power, that the government would like us to stay."

His big fear he said was that he and his family would be "unwelcome" and would find the rules increasingly stacked against them over the next five years.

A woman from Malaysia, who worked for a global Swedish company, agreed that the situation around migration was likely to worsen rather than improve, as did a motion designer from Albania.

"The government will implement even more stringent measures on the employment of foreigners," she said.

"Sweden will become more socially isolated, the citizens who are not born in Sweden will feel this more compared to the previous decade," agreed the Albanian. "The feeling of belonging is fading away, no matter how much you are integrated. "

His worst fear, he said, was "a radicalised society".

Others believed that the coming year would see a tussle between those arguing the economic benefits of immigration and politicians criticising it.

"The current trajectory suggests continued restrictive policies targeting immigrants, exacerbating labor shortages and social fragmentation," said the systems architect. "Economic pressures may force a pragmatic shift, but political rhetoric will likely remain harsh, deepening societal divides."

**Economy bounces back **

There was less disagreement on the prospects for the Swedish economy, which almost everyone expected to improve on a lacklustre 2025.

"It looks promising as business is bouncing back across all industries, and hopefully starts on a positive note in 2026," said an acoustic engineer based in Gothenburg.

Girish, an AI worker based in Stockholm, said that Sweden would be "economically recovering" in 2026, with "strong household consumption and tech-driven growth," and "technologically ambitious" companies "aiming for leadership in AI, green energy, and quantum computing".

When it came to spending power, one respondent from Central Europe said that they were looking forward to the tax cuts that come into force next year, which he hoped would "increase his family’s purchasing power."

Others worried that Sweden’s economy would suffer a setback triggered by an event or situation outside its borders.

"The US and UK are in quite a bad situation, and this will snowball to Europe. I foresee more layoffs, the property market worse off, of course, and definitely a rise in costs," said the Malaysian woman.

Her greatest fear she said was "a crash" which would lose her and others their "hard-earned savings in funds and investments".

**Election **

Respondents were divided on what would happen in the election on September 13th and how that is likely to affect life for immigrants.

"I think the Sweden Democrats will come into power with a stronger majority than most people estimate," said the engineer in Skellefteå, saying the resulting political shift was a possible "wildcard".

"I think there will be a harder-line government coming to power. And honestly, seeing the situation in the south, I understand the leanings of most Swedes."

Martin Crowther, a retired British master mariner settled in Örebro, said he was not certain whether the government parties, led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, would succeed in using their generous election-year budget to win back enough voters from Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson (or Magda) to regain their majority.

"Team Ulf may continue to lay a trail of sweeties to lead voters up the garden path of personal gain, especially for those that already have it quite good but want more," he predicted. "Team Magda, despite growing confidence according to opinion polls, will find some ‘Old Chestnut’ problems to spin away if the green shoots of a Socialist comeback take root."

**War **

Crowther said he was worried about what would happen if the war in Ukraine ends up going Russia’s way, of if Ukraine "capitulates".

"If Ukraine is abandoned by the USA, as seems likely, it will be up to Europe to step up and turn words into action. The result of these decisions will determine the quality of life for generations," Crowther Brit said. "I don’t mean to sound so dystopic but there it is."

He thought that on balance, the odds were that the current difficult global situation would improve.

"I’m an optimist! I cannot believe that people will continue to put up with dictators, autocratic leaders, and billionaire businessmen calling the shots. This applies on a global, national and local level. ‘The truth will out!’ and the age of super-aggressive politics, pseudo-bias opinion, and spin will have had its day."