Most new dwellings per inhabitant in Skåne County

In 10 out of 21 counties in Sweden, fewer dwellings were completed through new construction in 2021 than in the previous year. Fifty-five percent of the completed dwellings are located in the three metropolitan areas.

Skåne County accounted for the highest number of completed dwellings per 1 000 inhabitants, at 6.2 completed dwellings per 1 000 inhabitants . This is followed by Stockholms County, at 5.9 completed dwellings per 1 000 inhabitants. In Västernorrland County, there were 1.2 completed dwellings per 1 000 inhabitants, which was the lowest number of completed dwellings in Sweden. The corresponding figure for the country as a whole was 4.8 completed dwellings per 1 000 inhabitants.

Most new rented dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings

From 2014, most of the completed new dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings have been rented dwellings with the exception of 2017. This year sixty-five percent were rented dwellings and 35 percent were tenant-owned.

However, the type of tenure varied more by region. In Greater Stockholm the tenant-owned dwellings has decreased somehow in comparison with last year.

Outside the metropolitan areas, the proportions were reversed and about seven in ten newly constructed dwellings were rented dwellings.

In one- or two-dwelling buildings owner-occupied is the most common form, where tenant-owned decreased a bit. In 2021, 2 364 newly constructed dwellings in one- or two-dwelling buildings were tenant-owned, which is more than one fifth of the one- or two-dwelling buildings that were completed.

More small dwellings being constructed

The most common size of dwelling in multi-dwelling buildings that were completed was a dwelling with two rooms and a kitchen; there were 13 757 dwellings of this size, which is more than one in three dwellings.

The small dwellings that were completed have increased from last year. Among completed dwellings, 25 911 dwellings had two rooms or less, while 13 794 dwellings had three rooms or more.

The average useful floor space for a dwelling is 55 square metres in new construction of multi-dwelling buildings and 142 square metres in one- or two-dwelling buildings.

Housing for students and the elderly

Among the new dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings completed in 2021, 6 794 were classified as special housing. Among these, 2 966 dwellings were designated for students and 2 983 dwellings for elderly or disabled persons.

Conversion of multi-dwelling buildings

In addition to the dwellings completed through new construction in 2021, 2 881 new dwellings were completed through conversion or altered use, which is about 21 percent less than in 2020. About 76 percent of those dwellings were formerly non-residential buildings that were converted into dwellings. Jönköpings municipality tops the list at 240 dwellings. 14 percent former attics were converted into dwellings.

Demolition of dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings

In 2021, demolition of 599 dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings was started. This is just over 500 dwellings less than in 2020. The bulk of the demolitions was located outside the metropolitan areas and only 8 percent of dwellings in the metropolitan areas were demolished.