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Foreign ownership and expatriate Swedes’ ownership of holiday homes in Sweden 2021

Norwegian ownership of Swedish holiday homes largest

Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2022-03-24 8.00

In Sweden, there were 38 152 holiday homes with foreign owners in 2021, which is a marginal increase compared with 2020. Norwegians account for the largest share (33 percent) of foreign ownership followed by Germans and Danes with 28 and 26 percent respectively.

Foreign owners mostly from Norway, Germany and Denmark

Foreign owners come primarily from Norway (12 598 holiday homes), Germany (10 508) and Denmark (10 076).

Large differences among counties

Regional variation in foreign ownership of holiday homes in relation to the total stock of holiday homes is considerable. The percentage of foreign ownership is by far the greatest in Kronoberg County at 38 percent and in Värmland at 24 percent. In Stockholm, Uppsala, Södermanland, Gotland and Västmanland counties, foreign ownership is less than 1 percent of the stock.

The largest numbers of foreign-owned holiday homes are located in Västra Götaland (7 846), Värmland (6 549), Kronoberg (4 533) and Skåne (3 402) counties.

County Total number of holiday homes owned by natural persons Of which those with owners from   Percentage of foreign owned holiday homes
    Denmark Norway Germany Netherlands Other countries Unknown country Total  
Stockholm 73 660 13 18 66 9 116 12 234 0.3
Uppsala 17 991 1 5 9 4 28 9 56 0.3
Södermanland 20 260 4 4 53 4 35 14 114 0.6
Östergötland 23 136 70 7 215 32 50 19 393 1.7
Jönköping 13 644 874 10 795 70 91 28 1 868 13.7
Kronoberg 11 998 2 935 13 1 335 85 114 51 4 533 37.8
Kalmar 31 942 547 41 2 083 128 154 74 3 027 9.5
Gotland 12 453 0 14 38 3 26 4 85 0.7
Blekinge 13 379 895 12 467 22 63 25 1 484 11.1
Skåne 44 216 2 425 92 589 37 189 70 3 402 7.7
Halland 24 977 1 123 33 458 18 57 24 1 713 6.9
Västra Götaland 77 713 503 5 194 1 556 129 326 138 7 846 10.1
Värmland 27 278 407 3 988 1 282 505 234 133 6 549 24.0
Örebro 14 730 38 22 235 48 44 21 408 2.8
Västmanland 9 661 1 4 10 1 18 3 37 0.4
Dalarna 45 218 132 352 365 89 154 26 1 118 2.5
Gävleborg 27 818 9 21 125 26 88 26 295 1.1
Västernorrland 25 223 12 50 224 35 139 46 506 2.0
Jämtland 32 213 40 1 476 238 64 125 33 1 976 6.1
Västerbotten 33 133 37 780 221 22 270 50 1 380 4.2
Norrbotten 29 729 10 462 144 17 455 40 1 128 3.8
Total 610 372 10 076 12 598 10 508 1 348 2 776 846 38 152 6.3

Expatriate Swedes’ ownership of holiday homes

In total, 13 169 holiday homes in Sweden are owned by Swedes living abroad. Swedes living in Norway own the largest number of holiday homes in Sweden (2 881). This is followed by Swedish owners living in Germany (1 570), the United Kingdom (1 161), USA (1 111), Switzerland (1 109) and Denmark (1 006). 

The most common is that the Swedish expatriate own holiday homes in Västra Götaland (2 558), Skåne (1 930) and Stockholm County (1 629).

County Total number of holiday homes owned by natural persons Of which those with Swedish owners living in   Percentage of holiday homes owned by expatriate Swedes
    Norway Switzerland United Kingdom Germany USA Denmark Other countries Total  
Stockholm 73 660 80 195 190 160 212 34 758 1 629 2.2
Uppsala 17 991 13 18 17 12 36 3 112 211 1.2
Södermanland 20 260 18 19 44 59 43 6 140 329 1.6
Östergötland 23 136 44 42 34 53 30 16 151 370 1.6
Jönköping 13 644 18 22 18 61 15 56 85 275 2.0
Kronoberg 11 998 18 19 15 77 13 139 54 335 2.8
Kalmar 31 942 60 64 39 118 47 56 197 581 1.8
Gotland 12 453 25 14 14 21 20 6 91 191 1.5
Blekinge 13 379 28 30 20 50 28 83 76 315 2.4
Skåne 44 216 129 234 239 269 164 307 588 1 930 4.4
Halland 24 977 86 60 49 88 65 82 199 629 2.5
Västra Götaland 77 713 1 009 179 207 248 168 83 664 2 558 3.3
Värmland 27 278 607 39 40 73 36 41 150 986 3.6
Örebro 14 730 39 11 21 44 19 9 68 211 1.4
Västmanland 9 661 20 10 17 11 10 3 76 147 1.5
Dalarna 45 218 177 57 56 56 61 23 206 636 1.4
Gävleborg 27 818 62 28 41 40 35 9 129 344 1.2
Västernorrland 25 223 53 15 29 42 35 9 136 319 1.3
Jämtland 32 213 178 20 31 24 30 19 119 421 1.3
Västerbotten 33 133 123 23 24 36 24 13 119 362 1.1
Norrbotten 29 729 94 10 16 28 20 9 213 390 1.3
Total 610 372 2 881 1 109 1 161 1 570 1 111 1 006 4 331 13 169 2.2

Definitions and explanations

This statistical news defines holiday home as an assessment unit or taxation unit with no registered population and are assessed as building for agriculture, residential value less than SEK 50 000 (type code 113), building for agriculture, built (type code 120), one- or two-dwelling building, built (type code 220), one- or two-dwelling building, houses on leasehold (type code 225) and one- or two-dwelling building, building value less than SEK 50 000 (type code 213).

News from 2019 publication of holiday home

A type code has been added. It is building for agriculture, residential value less than SEK 50 000 (type code 113).

All assessment units, one- or two-dwelling building, houses on leasehold (type code 225) is now considered a holiday home.

For agricultural units it is also required that the agriculture is not active. As of 2019, only those with agricultural-related business codes are counted as active agriculture, which means that fewer agricultural units are excluded.

The changes that have been made result in just over 24,000 more holiday homes for the year 2019 compared to the previously used method.

Statistics Sweden will publish new time series according to the new definition later this spring when comparisons can be made for longer time periods.

Foreign ownership means that the owner responsible for his or her tax return has neither a Swedish postal address nor a Swedish personal identity number. The country reported in these statistics is based on the country where the owner has their postal address, and only natural persons are included in the survey.

Expatriate Swedes’ ownership means that the owner responsible for his/her tax return does not have a Swedish postal address, but does have a Swedish personal identity number. The country reported in these statistics is based on the country where the owner has their postal address, and only natural persons are included in the survey.

The information was retrieved from the 2021 Real Estate Tax Assessment Register (FTR) and refers to the situation on 1 January 2021. Statistics Sweden receives the Real Estate Tax Assessment Register from the Swedish Tax Agency.

The objects reported are assessment units or taxation units. Assessment units and taxation units are defined in FTR as that which is assessed or taxed independently and generally consists of property with a building and a lot.

Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.

Statistical agency

Statistics Sweden

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