Stockholm, Sweden Population

Population in Urban Area, now

1,684,872
  • World: 331st
  • Europe: 28th
  • Sweden: 1st

Population in City Area, 2022-03-09

1,515,017
  • World: 202nd
  • Europe: 17th
  • Sweden: 1st

Stockholm Urban Area Population Graph

Stockholm Population Review

The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous city in the country, as well as all of Scandinavia. There are currently 1.6 million people living the urban area and 1.5 that live in the city area. The city spans across 14 islands, covering a total area of 188 square kilometres. It is called Venice of the North and Beauty on the Water for its expanse of bridges and canals. Because of its relatively small size, Stockholm’s population density is quite high at 4,279 people per square kilometre. Stockholm is the economic, cultural, and political center of Sweden.

An economic powerhouse

The city accounts for more than a third of the country’s GDP and is one of the top cities in Europe for GDP per capita. The headquarters of 13 Fortune Global 500 companies, including LM Ericsson and H&M, reinforces Stockholm’s economic power. The city’s international trade power places it as the 34th top exporter in the world. It ships almost US$160.5 billion worth of goods around the world. The largest and most profitable exports include cars, drugs and medicines, refined petroleum oils, mobile phones, automotive parts, fish, wood, and paper.

Stockholm demographics

Stockholm has the highest number of foreign-born residents, with about 15% of residents that are foreign-born. There are 27% of Stockholmers that are immigrants or from non-Swedish backgrounds. Many of the city’s immigrant population live in the city’s suburbs. The city’s largest foreign populations are Finns (with 18,000), Iraqis (16,400), and Iranian (11,600).

There are a wide variety of languages spoken in the city, including Swedish, Finnish, English, Bosnian, Arabic, Syriac, Dutch, Turkish, Croatian, Serbian, and more. In the past few years, there have been growing tensions between native-born residents and immigrants. In 2013, immigrant youths rioted for four days and many people believe that Sweden is failing to effectively integrate newcomers to the city.

Stockholm Syndrome

The psychological condition known as Stockholm Syndrome, when hostages begin to identify with their captors, originated during one of Sweden’s most famous crimes. In 1973, the Norrmalmstorg robbery occurred at a bank in the city centre. Over the course of the six days it took for the hostage situation to be resolved, the hostages they had taken began to sympathize with their captors.

This resulted in psychological interest in what had occurred. It has since been observed in numerous high-profile kidnapping and hostage cases, including the famous Patty Hearst kidnapping.

Tons of cyclists

Bicycling is not only done for exercise in Stockholm, but for practicality. Almost 70,000 Stockholmers take their bikes to work each day. There are dedicated bike lanes throughout the city and there are rarely any accidents between bicyclists and vehicles. Bicycling is so popular and easy in Stockholm that it’s one of the recommended ways for tourists to get around the city and see the sites.

Tourism in Stockholm

Stockholm has a huge tourism industry, with close to 13.5 million overnight stays and 3 out of 10 foreign visitors choosing to spend some nights in the city. Much of the tourists visiting Stockholm are from within Sweden, with 64%.

The Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize is a set of international awards given in recognition of academic, cultural, or scientific advances. They were established in 1895 in the will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel. The Nobel prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology, Medicine, or Literature are awarded in Stockholm during an annual ceremony held on December 10 at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Winners of the Nobel Prize (known as laureates) receive a gold medal, a diploma, and a sum of money as decided by the Nobel Foundation. Each prize is worth around US$935,000.

Review Updated: October 2, 2020

Stockholm Urban Area Population History

1950 741,000
1951 747,000
1952 753,000
1953 760,000
1954 766,000
1955 772,000
1956 779,000
1957 785,000
1958 791,000
1959 798,000
1960 805,000
1961 827,000
1962 868,000
1963 911,000
1964 956,000
1965 1,003,000
1966 1,035,000
1967 1,050,000
1968 1,065,000
1969 1,080,000
1970 1,096,000
1971 1,033,000
1972 1,029,000
1973 1,024,000
1974 1,019,000
1975 1,015,000
1976 1,010,000
1977 1,005,000
1978 1,001,000
1979 996,000
1980 992,000
1981 992,000
1982 997,000
1983 1,002,000
1984 1,007,000
1985 1,012,000
1986 1,017,000
1987 1,023,000
1988 1,028,000
1989 1,033,000
1990 1,038,000
1991 1,051,000
1992 1,072,000
1993 1,094,000
1994 1,115,000
1995 1,138,000
1996 1,155,000
1997 1,168,000
1998 1,180,000
1999 1,193,000
2000 1,206,000
2001 1,216,000
2002 1,224,000
2003 1,232,000
2004 1,240,000
2005 1,248,000
2006 1,264,000
2007 1,287,000
2008 1,311,000
2009 1,335,000
2010 1,360,000
2011 1,386,000
2012 1,412,000
2013 1,439,000
2014 1,467,000
2015 1,495,000
2016 1,524,000
2017 1,553,000
2018 1,583,000
2019 1,608,000
2020 1,633,000
2021 1,657,000
2022 1,679,000
2023 1,700,000
2024 1,720,000

Stockholm Urban Area Population Projections

2025 1,738,000
2026 1,755,000
2027 1,771,000
2028 1,786,000
2029 1,800,000
2030 1,814,000
2031 1,827,000
2032 1,839,000
2033 1,851,000
2034 1,862,000
2035 1,873,000

Map of Stockholm, Sweden

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