About Skåne

Cities with no limits

Skåne is home to some of the most vibrant, innovative and sustainable cities in Europe. Here, everything is close and almost everywhere – from urban areas and rolling countryside to historical landmarks, is accessible by bicycle.

Two women sitting on a bench in the city of Malmö

1.4m inhabitants in Skåne

2 international airports

150 different bus routes

The cities driving Skåne forward

Skåne has more than one city acting as a growth engine for the region, which includes Malmö, Helsingborg and Lund. These dynamic cities, together with other regional centres all do their bit to help the southernmost part of Sweden consistently rank among the group considered to have the highest innovation power in the EU (Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2023).

Helsingborg city

Malmö

As the largest city in Skåne, Malmö serves as the region’s economic hub. This vibrant city is overflowing with pioneering companies and innovative start-ups. Malmö has a distinctive creative vibe, a strong business climate, a diverse economy, a thriving tech sector and a growing international population. In fact, Malmö is the 4th most international city in the world with inhabitants from 186 countries. Being just on the other side of Copenhagen, connected by the Öresund Bridge, Malmö is also a very strategic location. It’s closeness to Denmark makes it a significant transportation and business hub and brings Skåne closer to Europe and the world! 

Helsingborg

One of Sweden’s fastest growing, Helsingborg is strategically located on Skåne’s western seaboard. It is Sweden’s busiest ferry port, its 2nd largest container port and a leading port in North Europe, making it a critical logistics hub in Scandinavia. Helsingborg is an important centre for trade, with great transport connections which include electric, zero-emission ferries across the strait to Denmark. It is said that from Helsingborg, you can reach a market of 20m people in a day! This city is a growing business location where you can have a stroll on the beach and get sand between your toes during your lunch break.

Lund

A charming medieval city, Lund is where 1,000 years of history co-exists with modern buildings, advanced research facilities and innovative ideas. It has a reputation as a science and innovation hub with strong research-based global industries. The city is known for its prestigious Lund University which acts as a driver of research and innovation in Skåne. Lund attracts students and professionals from around the world and will soon be even more of a world-class science and innovation centre due to the growing Lund Innovation District where the brightest minds will gather to find solutions to global challenges. 

357,377 Malmö inhabitants

150,975 Helsingborg inhabitants

128,384 Lund inhabitants

Greater than the sum of its parts

Skåne is made up of contrasts which come together to create an open, innovative, ambitious region that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Skåne is the best of all worlds and comprises four unique and incredible parts - the northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest.

Wood building by water in Kristianstad city

Northeast Skåne

Northeastern Skåne is very green, with deep forests, magical lakes, extensive wetlands and a 35km coastline. Kristianstad is the largest city in the northeast and has some of the best farmlands in Skåne, a strong food industry, a competitive university and Åhus, an important bulk cargo port in southern Sweden. Together with the important rail connection hub Hässleholm, Kristianstad is a pivotal growth driver in the northeast.

Woman standing on a bridge in a town prak

Northwest Skåne

Known as the Helsingborg family, this part of Skåne is proud of its collaboration with its municipalities for growth, efficiency, and development of the northwest. It's an ideal location for those seeking adventure, excitement and a slightly more rugged landscape. The northwest is also home to Landskrona, a city with a strong focus on industry, and a labour market geared towards industrial production and services.

Man and woman walking a long a beach in the summer

Southeast Skåne

Tucked away in the southeastern part of Skåne is a piece of paradise called Österlen. If you long for some peace and romance away from the pulse of the city, then this charming, laidback part of Skåne is the place for you. The southeast is easily accessible by public transport so one could easily live here and commute to other parts of Skåne for work. Österlen is also home to Ystad where Henning Mankell's crime novels play out.

Three friends walking the streets in a city.

Southwest Skåne

Home to Malmö, Lund, as well as the city of Trelleborg (with its Port of Trelleborg - Scandinavia’s largest Roll-on/Roll-off port and Sweden’s only port with railway ferries), southwest Skåne packs a powerful punch. Southwest Skåne offers the pulse of a big city as well as a vacation feeling all year long. It also brings you that much closer to Europe due to its proximity to Denmark and strategic ferry connections with the continent.

3 Skåne cities in EU 100 list

Malmö, Helsingborg and Lund feature on the EU list of 100 climate neutral and smart cities, as part of the European Union's Cities Mission. The objective of the EU initiative is to ensure that these cities act as experimentation and innovation hubs to put all European cities in a position to become climate-neutral by 2050.

Malmö skyline