Poverty and living standards in Umeå, Sweden: official figures
At 6.4% in 2023, Umeå was below the Swedish level of 7.3% on the share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard, putting it 2nd lowest among the large Swedish cities.
How many people are on welfare in Umeå?
Umeå ranked 13th of 13 large Swedish cities on the share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) in 2025, at 1.5% against a national figure of 2.1%.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyWhat is the crime rate in Umeå?
In 2025, reported crimes per 100,000 residents in Umeå was 9,210, compared with 13,581 for Sweden as a whole; that was the lowest among the large Swedish cities.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyHow many homes are being built in Umeå?
Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents in Umeå came to 5.6 in 2025, 3rd most among the large Swedish cities (Sweden: 3.0), up from 3.2 in 2020.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyHow many people live alone in Umeå?
41% of the 57,750 households in Umeå were people living alone in 2018, and 3.6% were lone parents with children under 18.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- The share of adults on long-term social assistance in Umeå came to 0.7% in 2025, the lowest among the large Swedish cities (Sweden: 1.0%), down from 0.9% in 2020. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- The cost of social assistance per resident in Umeå stood at SEK 1,017 in 2025, down from SEK 1,039 in 2020; the figure for Sweden was SEK 1,519. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- At 1,192 in 2025, Umeå was below the Swedish level of 1,688 on reported crimes against liberty and peace (threats, harassment) per 100,000 residents, putting it 2nd lowest among the large Swedish cities. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- Umeå ranked 12th of 13 large Swedish cities on the Gini coefficient of household disposable income in 2024, at 0.275 against a national figure of 0.314. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
How Umeå compares with other cities in Sweden
The share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard (2023)
Umeå ranks 12 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | The share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Borås | 7.9% |
| 8 | Västerås | 7.7% |
| 9 | Linköping | 7.5% |
| 10 | Lund | 7.4% |
| 11 | Uppsala | 7.2% |
| 12 | Umeå | 6.4% |
| 13 | Stockholm | 6.1% |
The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) (2025)
Umeå ranks 13 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Västerås | 2.5% |
| 8 | Uppsala | 2.4% |
| 9 | Södertälje | 2.3% |
| 10 | Lund | 2.0% |
| 11 | Borås | 1.9% |
| 12 | Stockholm | 1.7% |
| 13 | Umeå | 1.5% |
Reported crimes per 100,000 residents (2025)
Umeå ranks 13 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | Reported crimes per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Göteborg | 13,878 |
| 8 | Norrköping | 12,832 |
| 9 | Borås | 11,970 |
| 10 | Lund | 11,174 |
| 11 | Uppsala | 11,137 |
| 12 | Linköping | 10,322 |
| 13 | Umeå | 9,210 |
Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents (2025)
Umeå ranks 3 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linköping | 6.1 |
| 2 | Borås | 5.8 |
| 3 | Umeå | 5.6 |
| 4 | Orebro | 4.6 |
| 5 | Stockholm | 4.1 |
| 6 | Uppsala | 3.8 |
| 7 | Göteborg | 3.4 |
More on Umeå: 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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