Evelina Fahlesson (S), municipal commissioner in Skellefteå, is pleased with the increasing population. "These numbers are also important concerning the state distribution of funds needed for several necessary and significant investments in our municipality," she says. (Archive image)
–These figures are incredibly pleasing, said Evelina Fahlesson, Skellefteå's municipal commissioner.
–They show we're at the forefront of societal transformation.
Net migration fueled the growth, with 4,608 new residents moving in and 2,350 leaving. Notably, one-third of newcomers were international migrants.
– Getting people to discover what Skellefteå has to offer is an ongoing effort, acknowledged municipal director Kristina Sundin Jonsson.
– These numbers show our work is paying off.
"Now we want to reach our population targets, which are to have 90,000 inhabitants by 2030 and 100,000 by 2040," says Kristina Sundin Jonsson, head of Skellefteå municipality.
However, the boom comes with challenges. Skellefteå saw the lowest number of newborns per woman in Västerbotten in 24 years, with 627 births offset by 779 deaths in 2023.
Skellefteå residents surveyed by Norran this time last year expressed concerns with the pace of growth, with Mariana Laine highlighting traffic congestion and lack of public facilties, and Pär Olofsson worried about the housing shortage.
"We need more and larger public facilities and roads", says Mariana Laine, when Norran asked about the drawbacks of a population increase. (Archive image)
Norran has previously reported on Skellefteå's housing crisis, exemplified by Northvolt employees struggling to find accommodation. Municipal commissioner Lorents Burman called for national solutions, stating:
– Skellefteå cannot turn the housing crisis around on its own; it's a national concern.
TL;DR
Skellefteå's current population: 76,572
Population increase in 2023: 2,140
Percentage population increase in 2023: 2.9 percent
Source: SCB