Sweden's talent prefers to live and work in Gothenburg

Sweden's two largest cities continue to compete for the title of the country's most attractive destination for talent. That is one of the key findings of the Talent City Index Sweden, now conducted for the fourth consecutive year. Gothenburg topped the rankings during the first two years, was overtaken by Stockholm last year, and has now reclaimed first place.

This year's ranking is based on interviews with 3,600 career-oriented Swedes aged 20 to 50, the group considered most likely to relocate. Most respondents work in occupations facing skills shortages.

The report is produced by Future Place Leadership, a Stockholm-based consultancy specialising in helping cities, regions, countries and innovation environments become more attractive to talent, residents, companies and investors.

"Gothenburg has topped the index in three of the past four years and stands out in particular because of its strong overall image, its welcoming character, and its ability to combine the opportunities of a major city with quality of life and strong social values," said Marcus Andersson, CEO of Future Place Leadership.

Quality of life tips the balance

Gothenburg records the highest attractiveness score (34.2%) among Swedish cities, narrowly ahead of Stockholm (33.0%) in this year's ranking. Next came Uppsala, Gotland and Malmö, all scoring between 16% and 18%. In total, 80 Swedish cities and municipalities were included in the survey.

According to the report, Gothenburg's top ranking is driven by higher scores than Stockholm in areas such as city life and experiences, family-friendliness, access to leisure activities, proximity to nature and the values of local residents. Gothenburg also edges ahead when it comes to lifestyle.

Stockholm's strong performance is largely driven by perceptions that the capital offers a broader job market, better career opportunities and greater accessibility. Those who favour Stockholm tend to place a higher value on these factors when choosing their preferred city.

"I understand why many people have that perception. But the reality is that Gothenburg offers outstanding career opportunities across a wide range of industries, particularly in the private sector. Unemployment is lower, and the chances of securing an exciting, well-paid job are every bit as good as in Stockholm. We have experienced exceptional growth over the past fifteen years. For those who recognise that and value a good work-life balance, Gothenburg is an excellent choice," said Patrik Andersson, CEO of Business Region Göteborg.

He emphasised that the region needs continued population growth and more skilled workers, particularly within occupations facing labour shortages.

According to Future Place Leadership, Gothenburg is the city best placed to attract engineers, nurses, assistant nurses, construction workers, skilled tradespeople and teachers. For machine and process operators, the west coast industrial hub is also the clear first choice. Among the professions measured, only IT specialists, data professionals and people trained in the service and hospitality industries show a preference for Stockholm, and even there the gap is relatively small.

"The fact that Gothenburg tops the attractiveness ranking in six out of eight shortage occupation groups demonstrates both impressive breadth and a strong position in the competition for today's and tomorrow's talent," said Marcus Andersson.

Västra Götaland almost as attractive as Gotland

Gothenburg has further strengthened its position as Sweden's friendliest place, ranking clearly ahead of Stockholm, Gotland and Malmö. However, respondents considered Stockholm to be stronger in areas such as sustainability, creativity and innovation, as well as overall quality of life and the business climate.

New for this year is a measure of the attractiveness of Sweden's counties based on what the report describes as their "overall image". Here, Västra Götaland (3.89) is virtually level with Gotland (3.90) in respondents' perceptions. They are followed by Dalarna, Halland and Värmland.

The full Talent City Index Sweden 2026 will be published on the Talent City Index website on12 November.

You can also read about last year's results in: Gothenburg is 'Sweden's nicest city'