Poverty and living standards in Göteborg, Sweden: official figures
In 2023, the share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard in Gothenburg was 8.5%, compared with 7.3% for Sweden as a whole; that was 6th highest among the large Swedish cities.
How many people are on welfare in Gothenburg?
At 2.5% in 2025, Gothenburg was above the Swedish level of 2.1% on the share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd), putting it 6th highest among the large Swedish cities.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyWhat is the crime rate in Gothenburg?
Reported crimes per 100,000 residents in Gothenburg stood at 13,878 in 2025, down from 16,181 in 2020; the figure for Sweden was 13,581.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyHow many homes are being built in Gothenburg?
Gothenburg ranked 7th of 13 large Swedish cities on newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents in 2025, at 3.4 against a national figure of 3.0.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyHow many people live alone in Göteborg?
42% of the 253,723 households in Göteborg were people living alone in 2018, and 4.7% were lone parents with children under 18.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Gothenburg ranked 4th of 13 large Swedish cities on the share of adults on long-term social assistance in 2025, at 1.5% against a national figure of 1.0%. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- The cost of social assistance per resident in Gothenburg came to SEK 2,134 in 2025, 4th highest among the large Swedish cities (Sweden: SEK 1,519), down from SEK 2,180 in 2020. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- In 2025, reported crimes against liberty and peace (threats, harassment) per 100,000 residents in Gothenburg was 1,558, compared with 1,688 for Sweden as a whole; that was 6th highest among the large Swedish cities. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- At 0.328 in 2024, Gothenburg was above the Swedish level of 0.314 on the Gini coefficient of household disposable income, putting it 3rd highest among the large Swedish cities. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
How Göteborg compares with other cities in Sweden
The share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard (2023)
Göteborg ranks 6 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | The share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Norrköping | 9.2% |
| 4 | Orebro | 9.1% |
| 5 | Helsingborg | 9.1% |
| 6 | Göteborg | 8.5% |
| 7 | Borås | 7.9% |
| 8 | Västerås | 7.7% |
| 9 | Linköping | 7.5% |
The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) (2025)
Göteborg ranks 6 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Norrköping | 3.0% |
| 4 | Orebro | 2.7% |
| 5 | Linköping | 2.7% |
| 6 | Göteborg | 2.5% |
| 7 | Västerås | 2.5% |
| 8 | Uppsala | 2.4% |
| 9 | Södertälje | 2.3% |
Reported crimes per 100,000 residents (2025)
Göteborg ranks 7 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | Reported crimes per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Södertälje | 14,486 |
| 5 | Västerås | 14,153 |
| 6 | Orebro | 13,915 |
| 7 | Göteborg | 13,878 |
| 8 | Norrköping | 12,832 |
| 9 | Borås | 11,970 |
| 10 | Lund | 11,174 |
Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents (2025)
Göteborg ranks 7 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Orebro | 4.6 |
| 5 | Stockholm | 4.1 |
| 6 | Uppsala | 3.8 |
| 7 | Göteborg | 3.4 |
| 8 | Malmö | 3.2 |
| 9 | Västerås | 2.5 |
| 10 | Lund | 1.7 |
More on Göteborg: overview · economy and jobs · education and schools · government budget · government and politics · all cities in Sweden
Sources
- RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada: Kolada key figures for 13 large Swedish municipalities and Sweden (municipal finances, tax rates, schools, social assistance, reported crime, housing, income, jobs, elected representatives), 2015-2026, Kolada API v3, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9dd73cdde6c8…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_clivcon: Urban Audit: living conditions (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bc58ab68d418…)
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