Living in Gothenburg: the key facts and numbers for 2026
Population, rents, transit tickets, healthcare fees, preschool costs, taxes, weather and the biggest employers, each with its official source and date. Built for people deciding whether to move, and for people who just arrived.
Gothenburg at a glance
Gothenburg (Göteborg) is Sweden's second-largest city: 613,278 residents in the municipality and about 1.09 million in the region at the end of 2025, with almost 30% born abroad. Expect to pay around SEK 8,000 a month for a two-room first-hand rental (if you can get one) or SEK 11,000+ for a sublet, SEK 890 for a monthly transit pass at the ordinary price, and 32.60% local income tax.
People and size
Göteborg municipality had 613,278 residents on 31 December 2025, up 4,285 (+0.7%) in a year, the largest increase in absolute numbers of any Swedish municipality. SCB's preliminary monthly figure for 31 August 2026 is 615,908.
The Gothenburg region (Göteborgsregionen) has 13 municipalities: Ale, Alingsås, Göteborg, Härryda, Kungsbacka, Kungälv, Lerum, Lilla Edet, Mölndal, Partille, Stenungsund, Tjörn and Öckerö, with 1,093,760 residents at the end of 2025. Göteborg itself is 56% of the region.
29.8% of Göteborg residents were born abroad (182,813 people), against 20.8% for Sweden as a whole. For comparison: Mölndal 20.2%, Partille 21.8%, Kungsbacka 9.7%.
Sources: SCB population statistics 2025 · Göteborgsregionen population 31 Dec 2025 (PDF)
Housing and rents
Göteborg had 312,429 homes at the end of 2025: 53.5% rental (hyresrätt), 30.5% tenant-owned flats (bostadsrätt) and 16.1% owner-occupied houses. Three in four homes are in apartment buildings.
First-hand rents (rental flats, 2026)
Average monthly rent per flat in Göteborg, according to SCB's 2026 survey. Rent usually includes heating and water. Rents rose 3.3% from 2025 to 2026.
| Flat size | Average rent per month |
|---|---|
| 1 room | SEK 5,785 |
| 2 rooms (1 bedroom) | SEK 7,978 |
| 3 rooms | SEK 9,273 |
| 4 rooms or more | SEK 11,692 |
| All rental flats | SEK 8,462 |
Sublet (andrahand) rents, January-June 2026
Median rents on Qasa, the largest rental platform (Blocket Bostad is now part of Qasa). Platform data, not official statistics.
| Home | Median rent per month |
|---|---|
| 1 room | SEK 8,500 |
| 2 rooms | SEK 11,250 |
| 3 rooms or more | SEK 14,180 |
| House | SEK 15,000 |
Rents by district (SEK per m² per year, 2026)
Divide by 12 for the monthly price per m²: at the city average, a 60 m² flat costs about SEK 8,000 a month.
| District | SEK / m² / year |
|---|---|
| Örgryte-Härlanda | 1,803 |
| Lundby (incl. Lindholmen, Eriksberg) | 1,786 |
| Centrum | 1,766 |
| Askim-Frölunda-Högsbo | 1,709 |
| Norra Hisingen | 1,683 |
| Majorna-Linné | 1,624 |
| Östra Göteborg | 1,470 |
| Västra Göteborg | 1,456 |
| Västra Hisingen | 1,401 |
| Angered | 1,204 |
| Göteborg, whole city | 1,602 |
| Mölndal (municipality) | 1,594 |
| Partille (municipality) | 1,517 |
| Kungsbacka (municipality) | 1,679 |
The Boplats queue
Boplats Väst, owned by the City, let 6,853 flats in 2025; the people who got one had queued 2,493 days on average (about 6.8 years). 307,593 people were in the queue at the end of 2025. To create an account you need a personnummer or samordningsnummer and an e-ID (BankID or Freja Plus); you can register from age 17, and it is free until you turn 22, then SEK 200 a year. Join as soon as you can, even if you plan to sublet.
See the full Gothenburg Rent Report 2026, a monthly budget, our neighbourhood guide and the housing directory.
Sources: SCB rents 2026 · Qasa Hyresrapporten H1 2026 · Boplats statistics
Getting around
Public transport is run by Västtrafik. Zone A covers Göteborg, Mölndal, Partille and Öckerö; zone B covers Ale, Alingsås, Härryda (including Landvetter airport), Kungsbacka, Kungälv, Lerum, Lilla Edet, Stenungsund and Tjörn.
| Ticket | Adult | Youth 7-19 / student |
|---|---|---|
| Single ticket, zone A (90 min) | SEK 38 | SEK 29 |
| Single ticket, zones A+B | SEK 76 | - |
| 30-day ticket, zone A, ordinary price | SEK 890 | SEK 670 |
| 30-day ticket, zone A, 2026 half price | SEK 445 | SEK 335 |
| 30-day ticket, zone A, Göteborg resident subsidy (adult, To Go app) | SEK 750 (SEK 305 at half price) | - |
| 30-day ticket, zones A+B | SEK 1,335 (SEK 667 at half price) | - |
The half price on 30-day tickets is a temporary state-funded discount in force since 1 July 2026. State funding covers the period until early December 2026, and whether the region continues it was still undecided in October 2026, so check Västtrafik before you buy.
- How to pay: the Västtrafik To Go app (buy before boarding), a Västtrafikkort smartcard, or tap a contactless card or phone (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay) on readers on zone A trams, buses and boats. Tapping buys an adult 90-minute ticket for SEK 38; it doesn't work on Västtågen trains.
- Discounts: youth aged 7-19 get 25% off. Students aged 20+ can buy youth-priced period tickets with a digital student ID showing the student travel symbol, if they study at least 50% on a CSN-eligible course (SFI students are not eligible). An adult with a period or day ticket bought in To Go can take up to three people under 20 for free.
- Airport: Landvetter (GOT) is about 20-25 km from the centre. Flygbussarna coaches run to Korsvägen and Göteborg C/Nils Ericson Terminalen up to every 15 minutes, from SEK 129 online; allow 20-40 minutes. FlixBus line 691 also runs to Nils Ericson Terminalen.
Tram lines (from 15 June 2026)
| Line | Route |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tynnered - Östra Sjukhuset |
| 2 | Högsbotorp - Biskopsgården |
| 3 | Marklandsgatan - Kålltorp |
| 4 | Mölndal - Angered |
| 5 | Länsmansgården - Östra Sjukhuset |
| 6 | Länsmansgården - Kortedala |
| 7 | Tynnered - Bergsjön |
| 8 | Frölunda - Angered |
| 9 | Kungssten - Angered |
| 10 | Guldheden - Lindholmen |
| 11 | Saltholmen - Bergsjön |
| 12 | Mölndal - Lindholmen |
All lines except 8 and 12 pass Brunnsparken. River ferries 285, 286 and 287 cross the Göta älv to Stenpiren; archipelago ferries leave from Saltholmen.
Sources: Västtrafik zones · Västtrafik single tickets · Västtrafik half-price 30-day tickets · Västtrafik network map June 2026 (PDF) · Swedavia: Landvetter by bus
Healthcare
Call 1177 for 24/7 nurse advice (+46 771-11 77 00 from a foreign number) and 112 for emergencies. Non-urgent police matters: 114 14. Once you're registered (folkbokförd), you are listed at a vårdcentral (health centre): choose one at 1177.se under "Vårdcentral" and "Ändra vårdval", or you're listed at the one nearest your address. You can change at most twice a year.
| Västra Götaland patient fees 2026 | Fee |
|---|---|
| Doctor at your own vårdcentral (in person or video) | SEK 200 |
| Doctor at another vårdcentral | SEK 300 |
| Nurse, psychologist or other staff (own vårdcentral) | SEK 50 |
| Phone or written contact with a doctor | SEK 160 |
| Jourcentral (out-of-hours clinic) | SEK 300 |
| Hospital emergency department | SEK 400 |
| High-cost cap, outpatient care (12 months) | SEK 1,450 |
| Hospital stay, per day | SEK 130 |
Find English-speaking clinics, therapists and dentists in the healthcare directory.
Sources: 1177: patient fees in Västra Götaland · 1177: choosing a health centre
Preschool and schools
Since 1 July 2026 the preschool fee (maxtaxa) is 3% of household gross income minus a SEK 10,000 allowance, capped at SEK 1,547 a month for the youngest child, SEK 1,031 for the second (2%) and SEK 516 for the third (1%). The fourth child is free, and households earning SEK 10,000 a month or less pay nothing. In Göteborg, children aged 3-5 get 15 free hours a week, which lowers their cap to SEK 1,031.
The municipality must offer a preschool place within four months of your application. In Göteborg, if no place is offered within 120 days, you get one fee-free day for each day of delay (July excluded), provided you applied to all municipal preschools.
International, bilingual and IB schools are in the schools directory.
Sources: Skolverket: maxtaxa 2026 · Skolverket: right to preschool
Income tax
Local income tax in Göteborg is 32.60% in 2026, unchanged from 2025. On top comes state income tax of 20% on taxable income above SEK 643,000 a year, plus the burial fee and, if you are a member, the Church of Sweden fee.
| Municipality (2026) | Municipal | Region | Total local tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Göteborg | 21.12% | 11.48% (VGR) | 32.60% |
| Mölndal | 31.99% | ||
| Partille | 31.36% | ||
| Kungsbacka | 21.18% | 11.40% (Halland) | 32.58% |
| Sweden, average | 32.38% |
Work out your take-home pay with the Sweden tax calculator, and check the expert tax relief if you earn more than SEK 88,800 a month.
Source: SCB: municipal tax rates
Work and the biggest employers
Gothenburg's economy is built around vehicles, life science, engineering, shipping and the public sector. The largest employers in the region:
| Employer | Presence in Gothenburg |
|---|---|
| Volvo Cars | Largest private employer in the Gothenburg region, with 16,475 employees in 2025. Its main development and production site is in Torslanda. |
| Volvo Group (AB Volvo – trucks, buses, Penta etc.) | Headquartered in Gothenburg. About 12,700 employees in the region, including Volvo Technology (4,175) and Volvo Trucks (3,525) in 2025. |
| SKF | Headquartered in the Gothenburg region and among its top-10 employers, with 1,950 employees in 2025. It has the third-highest turnover of companies headquartered in the region. |
| AstraZeneca | Its R&D site in Mölndal is one of the company's five global research centres, with close to 3,000 people. Business Region Göteborg's figure is 2,725 employees in 2025. |
| Ericsson | Office at Lindholmspiren 11, Lindholmen. Ranked 12th among the Gothenburg region's 100 largest companies by employees. |
| Sahlgrenska University Hospital / Västra Götalandsregionen | The hospital has more than 17,000 staff at sites in Gothenburg and Mölndal (Sahlgrenska, Mölndal and Östra hospitals). Its owner, Region Västra Götaland, employs about 56,000 people across the region. |
| Chalmers University of Technology | 3,375 employees in 2025, a top-5 employer in the region. Campuses at Johanneberg and Lindholmen. |
| University of Gothenburg | 6,692 employees and about 58,000 students in 2025. |
| Stena (Stena AB group) | Head office at Masthuggskajen, Göteborg. The group employs about 17,300 people worldwide. |
| Polestar | Headquartered in Gothenburg. Polestar Performance AB is ranked 23rd among the region's largest companies by employees. |
| Zenseact | Volvo Cars' autonomous-driving software company. Its Gothenburg head office has about 600 engineers and support staff; ranked 58th on the region's largest-companies list. |
| City of Gothenburg (Göteborgs Stad) | One of Sweden's largest employers, with nearly 60,000 employees (medarbetare). |
| Saab | 2,925 employees in the Gothenburg region in 2025, ranked 6th by employees. |
Agencies and free career help: recruitment directory.
Weather and daylight
Gothenburg has a mild, wet coastal climate. SMHI's 1991-2020 normals for Göteborg: +0.7 °C in February (the coldest month) and +18.3 °C in July, with an annual mean of +8.9 °C. It rains or snows about 912 mm a year, most in October (about 103 mm) and least in April (about 51 mm). Sunshine totals about 1,725 hours a year: about 246 hours in July but only about 32 in December.
Daylight swings hard: about 6.5 hours at the winter solstice (sunrise around 08:50, sunset around 15:30) and about 18 hours at midsummer.
Electricity, Swedish lessons and free help
- Electricity: Gothenburg is in price area SE3, so variable-price contracts follow the SE3 spot price. Source: Energimarknadsinspektionen: price areas
- Swedish: SFI (Swedish for immigrants) is free for adults registered in Göteborg or Öckerö. Book an information meeting through the City; meetings are held in Swedish, English, Arabic or Ukrainian. More in Swedish courses.
- Free help: International House Gothenburg, Järnvågsgatan 3 (tram stop Järntorget), gives free advice to international professionals, researchers, students, partners and families. In October 2026 its drop-in hours were Monday 10-15, Wednesday 10-15 and Friday 10-12. Source: Invest in Gothenburg
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Gothenburg?
Göteborg municipality had 613,278 residents on 31 December 2025 (SCB), after growing by 4,285 people in 2025, the largest increase in absolute numbers of any Swedish municipality. The 13-municipality Gothenburg region had 1,093,760. SCB's preliminary figure for 31 August 2026 is 615,908.
How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Gothenburg?
A first-hand rental flat with two rooms costs SEK 7,978 a month on average (SCB 2026), usually including heating and water, but these flats come through queues. On the sublet market the median for two rooms was SEK 11,250 a month in the first half of 2026 (Qasa).
How much is a monthly transit pass in Gothenburg?
A 30-day zone A ticket costs SEK 890 for adults at the ordinary price. A temporary state-funded half price (SEK 445) has applied since 1 July 2026; its continuation after early December 2026 was undecided in October 2026. People registered in Göteborg get a further SEK 140 off when buying in the Västtrafik To Go app while logged in.
What is the income tax rate in Gothenburg?
32.60% in 2026: 21.12% municipal tax plus 11.48% for Region Västra Götaland. State income tax of 20% is added on taxable income above SEK 643,000 a year. Try our tax calculator.
How dark is Gothenburg in winter?
At the winter solstice the day lasts about 6.5 hours (sunrise around 08:50, sunset around 15:30). At midsummer it is about 18 hours. December averages about 32 hours of sunshine in the whole month, July about 246 (SMHI normals 1991-2020).
Where can newcomers get free help in Gothenburg?
International House Gothenburg at Järnvågsgatan 3 (tram stop Järntorget) gives free advice to international professionals, students, partners and families, with drop-in hours several days a week. It is run by Business Region Göteborg, Region Västra Götaland and the City.