100% Facts & Figures – Gothenburg in numbers
Gothenburg is home to Sweden’s two largest companies in terms of turnover. Around 53,000 people who work in the region have a background in engineering and natural sciences. Over 142,000 jobs have been created in the region since 2009. These are just a few of the facts you will find in our brand-new publication Facts & Figures 2025/26.
Access the publication: Facts & Figures 2025/26
“Facts & Figures is designed for anyone who wants an up-to-date and accurate understanding of the business environment in the Gothenburg region. Investors, business developers and skilled professionals can use it to identify opportunities,” says Marcus Scoliege, head of foreign direct investments at Business Region Göteborg.
The annual publication is filled with Gothenburg facts and statistics gathered from official sources. It provides insight into, for example, the regional economy; Gothenburg’s exchange with the world; the largest companies, sectors and clusters; salary levels, rental prices and corporate taxes; and the city’s work with sustainability.
“This publication quantifies the things we are most proud of in Gothenburg. We benefit from our strategic location in the centre of Scandinavia, and the wealth of innovative people and companies makes the region a thriving regional hub. Our strengths lie in mobility, life science, ICT and logistics, and these areas are driving economic growth and providing diverse business opportunities,” he adds.
A selection of facts and statistics from Facts & Figures 2025/2026:
- Since the year 2009, the region has grown by 170,000 residents and 36,000 business establishments.
- The annual economic growth rate in the Gothenburg region during the period 2009-2023 was 3.7%. The equivalent figures for Sweden as a whole and the Stockholm region were 2.1% and 2.2% respectively.
- Västra Götaland, Gothenburg’s county, accounts for 1/3 of Sweden’s R&D expenditure in the private sector. Gothenburg is also one of the top performing science and technology clusters in the world in terms of inventors and scientific authors per capita.
- Gothenburg accounts for 17% of Sweden’s goods exports. USA, Germany, Norway, UK and China are some of the important destinations for our companies’ goods.
- The Gothenburg region is ranked as the Nordic countries’ best logistics location.
- There are around 2,300 foreign-owned companies in the Gothenburg region which together employ 106,000 people, or around a fifth of the labour force.
- Business services, healthcare and care, commerce and manufacturing are Gothenburg’s largest sectors in terms of employment.
- 8,106 companies were started in the Gothenburg region in 2024.
- SMEs account for 41% of the region’s employees, 27% of the region’s turnover and 54% of the region’s value added.
- 100% of public transportation trips are run on renewable fuels.
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