Poverty and living standards in Helsingborg, Sweden: official figures
Helsingborg ranked 5th of 13 large Swedish cities on the share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard in 2023, at 9.1% against a national figure of 7.3%.
How many people are on welfare in Helsingborg?
The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) in Helsingborg came to 3.2% in 2025, 2nd highest among the large Swedish cities (Sweden: 2.1%), down from 4.7% in 2020.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyWhat is the crime rate in Helsingborg?
At 15,583 in 2025, Helsingborg was above the Swedish level of 13,581 on reported crimes per 100,000 residents, putting it 3rd highest among the large Swedish cities.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyHow many homes are being built in Helsingborg?
Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents in Helsingborg stood at 0.8 in 2025, down from 6.0 in 2020; the figure for Sweden was 3.0.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyHow many people live alone in Helsingborg?
39% of the 61,897 households in Helsingborg were people living alone in 2018, and 4.8% were lone parents with children under 18.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- The share of adults on long-term social assistance in Helsingborg stood at 1.4% in 2025, down from 2.2% in 2020; the figure for Sweden was 1.0%. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- In 2025, the cost of social assistance per resident in Helsingborg was SEK 2,150, compared with SEK 1,519 for Sweden as a whole; that was 3rd highest among the large Swedish cities. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- Helsingborg ranked 1st of 13 large Swedish cities on reported crimes against liberty and peace (threats, harassment) per 100,000 residents in 2025, at 2,158 against a national figure of 1,688. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- The Gini coefficient of household disposable income in Helsingborg came to 0.316 in 2024, 5th highest among the large Swedish cities (Sweden: 0.314), up from 0.312 in 2019. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
How Helsingborg compares with other cities in Sweden
The share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard (2023)
Helsingborg ranks 5 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | The share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Södertälje | 11.1% |
| 3 | Norrköping | 9.2% |
| 4 | Orebro | 9.1% |
| 5 | Helsingborg | 9.1% |
| 6 | Göteborg | 8.5% |
| 7 | Borås | 7.9% |
| 8 | Västerås | 7.7% |
The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) (2025)
Helsingborg ranks 2 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malmö | 4.0% |
| 2 | Helsingborg | 3.2% |
| 3 | Norrköping | 3.0% |
| 4 | Orebro | 2.7% |
| 5 | Linköping | 2.7% |
| 6 | Göteborg | 2.5% |
| 7 | Västerås | 2.5% |
Reported crimes per 100,000 residents (2025)
Helsingborg ranks 3 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | Reported crimes per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stockholm | 19,159 |
| 2 | Malmö | 16,183 |
| 3 | Helsingborg | 15,583 |
| 4 | Södertälje | 14,486 |
| 5 | Västerås | 14,153 |
| 6 | Orebro | 13,915 |
| 7 | Göteborg | 13,878 |
Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents (2025)
Helsingborg ranks 12 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Göteborg | 3.4 |
| 8 | Malmö | 3.2 |
| 9 | Västerås | 2.5 |
| 10 | Lund | 1.7 |
| 11 | Norrköping | 1.3 |
| 12 | Helsingborg | 0.8 |
| 13 | Södertälje | 0.7 |
More on Helsingborg: 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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