Malmö: population and official figures

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Malmö: At SEK 292,900 in 2024, Malmö was below the Swedish level of SEK 311,000 on the median net income of residents aged 20 and over, putting it 2nd lowest among the large Swedish cities.
• Health in Malmö: The infant mortality rate was 2.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018.
• Education in Malmö: In 2026, the average grade score (meritvärde, 17 subjects) of year 9 pupils at schools in the municipality in Malmö was 235.5, compared with 229.7 for Sweden as a whole; that was 5th highest among the large Swedish cities.
• Poverty and living standards in Malmö: Malmö ranked 1st of 13 large Swedish cities on the share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard in 2023, at 12.1% against a national figure of 7.3%.
• Government budget and revenue in Malmö: The municipal income tax rate in Malmö stood at 21.24% in 2026, unchanged from 2021; the figure for Sweden was 20.69%.
• Government and politics in Malmö: At 48.0% in 2025, Malmö was above the Swedish level of 43.0% on the share of women in the municipal council, putting it 7th highest among the large Swedish cities.

Who runs Malmö?

In Sweden, cities and towns are run by municipalities: Municipal assembly (kommunfullmäktige) elected every four years; it appoints an executive committee (kommunstyrelse). Schools, childcare, elderly care, social services, planning and building, water, waste. They set their own income tax rate.

How local power works in Sweden

Cities of a similar size in Sweden

• Stockholm 1,613,975
• Göteborg 715,881
• Uppsala 245,328
• Linköping 167,403
• Västerås 159,661
• Orebro 159,348
• Helsingborg 151,307
• Norrköping 145,164
• Umeå 133,093
• Lund 130,291
• Borås 114,592
• Södertälje 102,518

Up a level: all cities in Sweden · Sweden · government and power

Sources

• United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, Table 8: Population of capital cities and cities of 100 000 or more inhabitants, latest available year, 2005-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c6784df022e…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_ctour: Urban Audit: culture and tourism (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 235d13e6125c…)
• Statistiska centralbyrån (SCB): Kommunfullmäktigval - valresultat efter region och parti mm. Antal och andelar. Valår 2014, 2018, 2022 (table ME0104T1), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7d958dd9a653…)
• Statistiska centralbyrån (SCB): Kommunfullmäktigval - erhållna mandat efter region och parti. Valår 2014, 2018, 2022 (table Kfmandat), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d0206cbe63d4…)
• 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_cpop1: Urban Audit: population on 1 January by age groups and sex (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0ef23d60abc9…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_clivcon: Urban Audit: living conditions (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bc58ab68d418…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_cfermor: Urban Audit: fertility and mortality (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bd2b301d78c2…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_clma: Urban Audit: labour market (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 be050965f9c6…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_percep: Quality of life in European cities survey 2023: perception (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81bd3e277f3e…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_ctran: Urban Audit: transport (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c4e74aa07496…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_ceduc: Urban Audit: education (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 af187c7040a4…)

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