In a previous Swedish longitudinal study of mortality among 723,948 foreign born and native-born Swedes, 1970-1999, increased mortality was found among foreign-born persons. This study describes and analyses the differences in mortality between 361,974 foreign-born persons and 361,974 native Swedes during the period 1970-1999, based on data from Statistics Sweden and the National Board of Health and Welfare. The mortality pattern showed dissimilarities; with a significantly higher number of deaths among foreign-born persons in six diagnose groups and a significantly lower mean age at time of death. A high number of deaths were found for migrants from Denmark in Neoplasm, for migrants from Finland and Poland in Diseases of the circulatory system and for migrants from Yugoslavia in Symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions. There is a tendency to a more similar pattern between foreign- and Swedish-born persons over time. Migration may be a risk factor for health, and therefore seems to be an important factor to consider when studying morbidity and health and when planning preventive work. © Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2006.

Transients and migrants Causes of death Sweden Public health Epidemiology Mortality Longitudinal study

statistical analysis symptomatology Finland health care planning malignant neoplastic disease Europe human risk assessment middle aged Denmark Poland controlled study priority journal Aged morbidity Yugoslavia groups by age statistical significance Sweden Humans cardiovascular disease Adolescent male female Article health care organization major clinical study adult migration Emigration and Immigration cause of death health hazard mortality Switzerland