Urban areas, localities and small localities 2023
Increasing proportion of residents in urban areas, localities and small localities in 2023
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2024-11-28 8.00
The population in localities and small localities increased between 2020 and 2023, while the population outside them decreased. Most of this increase occurred in cities with more than 100 000 inhabitants. At the end of 2023, 90 per cent of the country’s population lived in localities and small localities.
Since 1800, the population in localities has steadily increased. Statistics Sweden’s most recent measurement showed an increase of just under 178 000 people between 2020 and 2023. The population outside localities decreased the most from the late 1800s until 1970. Since then, the changes have been less extensive. The measurement for 2023 shows a decrease of more than 5 000 people outside localities since 2020.
The population in small localities increased by just under 1 000 people between 2020 and 2023. This results in a total decrease of 6 000 people in areas outside localities and small localities.
Residents outside localities increased in half the counties
The decrease in the population outside localities between 2020 and 2023 does not apply to Sweden as a whole. Instead, every other county has shown an increase. The largest increase was in Södermanland and Jönköping counties, where the population outside localities increased by more than 1 200 people in each county. The largest decrease in population outside localities occurred in Skåne county, where there was a decrease of some 3 000 people.
Between 2020 and 2023, the total population decreased in five of Sweden’s 21 counties. In Västernorrland county, it was mainly the population in localities that decreased. In Gävleborg and Blekinge counties, the largest decrease was outside localities. In Norrbotten county, the population in localities decreased, while there was a slight increase outside them. The situation in Dalarna county was the opposite, with an increase in population within localities and a decrease in areas outside them.
In most of the counties, the population within localities increased. The largest increase was in the metropolitan municipalities of Stockholm, Skåne and Västra Götaland.
One in three people live in the ten largest cities
Of Sweden’s total population, 88 per cent were registered as resident within a locality in 2023. This proportion has increased by 0.2 percentage points since 2020, which is mainly due to an increase in the population of the country’s ten largest urban areas. Of Sweden’s total population in 2023, more than one in three people lived in one of the ten largest cities.
| Urban area | Population | Land area in hectares | Population per square kilometre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | 1 652 895 | 43 508 | 3 799 |
| Göteborg | 674 529 | 27 155 | 2 484 |
| Malmö | 339 316 | 8 067 | 4 206 |
| Uppsala | 174 982 | 4 579 | 3 821 |
| Upplands Väsby och Sollentuna | 156 517 | 4 763 | 3 286 |
| Västerås | 131 643 | 5 234 | 2 515 |
| Örebro | 128 658 | 5 575 | 2 308 |
| Linköping | 116 851 | 3 967 | 2 946 |
| Helsingborg | 116 029 | 4 171 | 2 782 |
| Jönköping | 103 032 | 4 981 | 2 068 |
Proportion of residents in localities lowest in Gotland county
The proportion of residents in localities varies between counties. In 2023, Gotland county had the lowest proportion, with 65 per cent of residents living in localities. This was followed by Jämtland county, where 73 per cent of the population lived in localities. In Stockholm county, 97 per cent of the population lived in localities.
In 14 of Sweden’s 290 municipalities, less than 50 per cent of the population lived in localities in 2023. The municipalities are spread across the country, from Borgholm on Öland to Sorsele in the subalpine region of Västerbotten.
Small localities have between 50 and 199 inhabitants
In Statistics Sweden’s statistics, a small locality has between 50 and 199 inhabitants registered as resident. Almost 274 000 people, or 3 per cent of Sweden’s total population, lived in small localities in 2023. This is an increase of just under 900 people since 2020.
Equal number of new and deregistered localities
In 2023, Sweden had 2 017 localities, according to Statistics Sweden’s statistical definition of localities. Compared with 2020, 70 localities were added to the statistics. All new localities had previously been included in Statistics Sweden’s statistics, either as small localities or older localities.
Between 2020 and 2023, 70 localities were deregistered in the statistics. In more than 30 cases, neighbouring localities merged together. Some 30 localities were deregistered because the population decreased to such an extent that they did not meet the requirement of at least 200 people registered as resident. They were instead registered as small localities.
The number of statistical small localities in 2023 amounted to 3 097, which is twelve more than in 2020. In the statistics for 2023, 384 small localities were added, while 372 were deregistered. 160 small localities were deregistered due to a decrease in population. In just under 150 cases, neighbouring small localities or localities merged together.
| Type of area | Number of areas | Population | Proportion of total population | Proportion of total land area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban areas, localities | 2 017 | 9 265 976 | 88% | 1.6% |
| Small localities | 3 097 | 273 985 | 3% | 0.3% |
| Outside urban areas, localities, small localities | 1 011 746 | 10% | 98.1% | |
| Total Sweden | 10 551 707 | 1 00% | 100.0% |
Maps and geodata
Open geodata for small localities
Statistics Sweden’s map search tool for regional divisions:
SCB Regina Web Map
Definitions and explanations
- A statistical locality is a built-up area with at least 200 inhabitants registered as resident and densely built-up areas.
- A statistical small locality is a built-up area with 50 to 199 inhabitants registered as resident and densely built-up areas.
- Statistics Sweden makes a geographical differentiation between localities and small localities and then calculates statistics for them.
- The density of the built-up areas is measured using digital maps from Lantmäteriet, with information about buildings, properties, roads and land.
- The maximum distance allowed between buildings depends on several factors, including the number of inhabitants registered as resident and employees in the different parts of the locality.
- Data about the population and employees is taken from Statistics Sweden’s register and combined with address details.
- The statistics use the terms ‘statistical locality’ and ‘statistical small locality’ to indicate that the statistics are based on a classification of areas for which register data and statistics form the basis. Statistics Sweden’s localities and small localities can therefore differ from how other parts of society define and differentiate localities and urban areas in Sweden.
Next publishing will be
Next update of statistics per locality: 2025
Next update on geodata localities and small localities: 2026.
Statistical Database
More information is available in the Statistical Database
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.