Gothenburg facts

We have a mission to provide you with the best possible facts and figures to help you identify opportunities in our region. Here we have put together a page with a compilation of official Gothenburg facts. For deeper knowledge, download our publication Facts & Figures, or get in touch with us.

An expansive business environment 

Gothenburg has a broad and multifaceted business environment with 750 industries represented. The region is home to global brands such as Volvo, SKF, Ericsson and AstraZeneca, and is characterised by a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Prominent clusters include construction, transport and logistics, ICT industries, automotive, creative and cultural industries, life sciences and cleantech.

Competitive on the international stage 

Gothenburg regularly scores highly in European and global comparisons on everything from innovation and sustainability to human capital and lifestyle. One example is when Gothenburg was ranked as a European innovation leader among 240 regions by the European Commission 2021. Below are a few other examples: 

A rich exchange with the world 

Gothenburg is an important hub for Swedish imports and exports, with established trade routes to all major markets. Meanwhile, every fifth employee in the region works for a foreign-owned company and every fifth resident is foreign-born. More and more people are also visiting the city for meetings, events and leisure. 

A highly skilled workforce

With high-quality universities and world-class companies, Gothenburg is a popular place to live, work and study. Our residents are relatively young and more highly educated than the national average. Gothenburg and West Sweden also rank highly in international comparisons on human capital and lifestyle.