Poverty and living standards in Västerås, Sweden: official figures
The share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard in Västerås came to 7.7% in 2023, 6th lowest among the large Swedish cities (Sweden: 7.3%), unchanged from 2018.
How many people are on welfare in Västerås?
The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) in Västerås stood at 2.5% in 2025, down from 3.7% in 2020; the figure for Sweden was 2.1%.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyWhat is the crime rate in Västerås?
Västerås ranked 5th of 13 large Swedish cities on reported crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, at 14,153 against a national figure of 13,581.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyHow many homes are being built in Västerås?
In 2025, newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents in Västerås was 2.5, compared with 3.0 for Sweden as a whole; that was 5th fewest among the large Swedish cities.
Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copyHow many people live alone in Västerås?
38% of the 65,928 households in Västerås were people living alone in 2018, and 5.0% were lone parents with children under 18.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- In 2025, the share of adults on long-term social assistance in Västerås was 1.5%, compared with 1.0% 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
- At SEK 1,767 in 2025, Västerås was above the Swedish level of SEK 1,519 on the cost of social assistance per resident, putting it 6th lowest among the large Swedish cities. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- Reported crimes against liberty and peace (threats, harassment) per 100,000 residents in Västerås came to 1,484 in 2025, 6th lowest among the large Swedish cities (Sweden: 1,688), up from 1,302 in 2020. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
- The Gini coefficient of household disposable income in Västerås stood at 0.296 in 2024, up from 0.290 in 2019; the figure for Sweden was 0.314. Source: RKA (Rådet för främjande av kommunala analyser), Kolada · saved copy
How Västerås compares with other cities in Sweden
The share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard (2023)
Västerås ranks 8 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | The share of residents aged 25 and over with persistently low economic standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Helsingborg | 9.1% |
| 6 | Göteborg | 8.5% |
| 7 | Borås | 7.9% |
| 8 | Västerås | 7.7% |
| 9 | Linköping | 7.5% |
| 10 | Lund | 7.4% |
| 11 | Uppsala | 7.2% |
The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) (2025)
Västerås ranks 7 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | The share of adults receiving social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Orebro | 2.7% |
| 5 | Linköping | 2.7% |
| 6 | Göteborg | 2.5% |
| 7 | Västerås | 2.5% |
| 8 | Uppsala | 2.4% |
| 9 | Södertälje | 2.3% |
| 10 | Lund | 2.0% |
Reported crimes per 100,000 residents (2025)
Västerås ranks 5 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | Reported crimes per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Malmö | 16,183 |
| 3 | Helsingborg | 15,583 |
| 4 | Södertälje | 14,486 |
| 5 | Västerås | 14,153 |
| 6 | Orebro | 13,915 |
| 7 | Göteborg | 13,878 |
| 8 | Norrköping | 12,832 |
Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents (2025)
Västerås ranks 9 of 13, highest first. Among the 13 largest municipalities
| Rank | City | Newly built homes completed per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Uppsala | 3.8 |
| 7 | Göteborg | 3.4 |
| 8 | Malmö | 3.2 |
| 9 | Västerås | 2.5 |
| 10 | Lund | 1.7 |
| 11 | Norrköping | 1.3 |
| 12 | Helsingborg | 0.8 |
More on Västerås: 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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