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.
establishments
turnover
Gothenburg is growing fast
Employment growth has been strong in the Gothenburg region. At the same time the labour market region is growing due to improved infrastructure and change in commuting patterns.
people employed
residents in Gothenburg's labour market region
Sweden’s leading R&D region for businesses
Gothenburg is a leading research region characterised by large knowledge-intensive companies and close collaboration between the private, public and academic sectors.
The region is home to highly regarded universities and science parks, as well as around 100 testbeds. The Gothenburg region is ranked as one of the most innovative regions in the EU, according to the European Commission, and in terms of patents per capita, Gothenburg is among the top 15 most inventive cities in the world.
During 2019, 1/3 of Sweden's total R&D investments within the private sector were made in Gothenburg's county, Västra Götaland - the highest among Swedish counties.

Sweden's private R&D investments
Sweden's private R&D investments in automotive
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:
Best Sustainable City Stay (Lonely Planet, 2021)
Best logistics location in Sweden (Intelligent Logistik, 2021)
Winner of the European Entrepreneurial Region Award 2020 (European Committee of the Regions, European Union)
Most sustainable destination in the world (Global Destination Sustainability Index, 2021)
Most international county in Sweden (Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, 2020)
Best for human capital and lifestyle among large European cities (fDi, 2020/21)
Most liveable city in the world for European expats (ECA International, 2021)
Best for business friendliness among large European cities (fDi, 2020/21)
Best investment location among large European cities (fDi, 2020/21)
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.
of Sweden's exports
of Sweden's imports
foreign owned companies
commercial guest nights
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.
university students
vocational programmes
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Facts & Figures, is the most comprehensive compilation of facts and statistics on the Gothenburg region’s business environment.