Photo: Amanda Sveed
Umeå is perceived as safe, creative, and pleasant
Umeå is northern Sweden’s big winner in the Talent City Index 2025 – a national survey that examines how people with in‑demand skills perceive Swedish cities and regions.
Stockholm placed first as Sweden’s most attractive city for talent, with Gothenburg in second place. These two largest cities have consistently taken the top spots throughout the years the survey has been conducted. This year, however, several northern locations climbed into the top rankings.
Northern Sweden is rising in attractiveness
The development taking place in northern Sweden is reflected in the results. Umeå continues to climb in the rankings and is the highest‑placed city in the north, with strong positions in several categories, including quality of life (fifth place), creativity (fifth place), safety (third place), and ability to attract talent in the future.
The region as a whole stands out particularly in the safety dimension, where Piteå, Boden, Luleå, and Östersund/Åre rank at the very top. Several cities in northern Sweden are also moving upward in the overall ranking, including Sundsvall, Östersund/Åre, Piteå, and Örnsköldsvik/High Coast. Luleå and Skellefteå remain at stable levels despite the uncertainty that has affected the region following Northvolt’s bankruptcy.
The future is in the north
Confidence in the opportunities in the north stands out in this year’s survey. It shows strong belief in the northern cities’ future ability to attract talent, create growth, and generate new jobs. In this part of the survey, a much more positive picture of northern Sweden emerges than the overall ranking suggests. Many respondents express strong optimism about the future of northern cities, likely linked to the extensive industrial and energy transitions underway in the region. While the long‑term effects are not yet fully reflected in perceived attractiveness, this year’s results signal that northern Sweden is seen as a dynamic growth region going forward.
Umeå’s top rankings:
- Safest place: 3
- Most sustainable place: 4
- Best quality of life: 4
- Most family‑friendly: 4
- Sweden’s strongest place brand: 5
- Most creative and innovative: 6
- Most pleasant place: 6
- Satisfaction index: 8
- Most beautiful: 9
- Business climate: 9
- Where the most in‑demand future workforce most wants to work and live: 13
About the Talent City Index survey
Talent City Index is based on responses from 3,700 people aged 20–50 from across Sweden. Respondents represent a wide range of professions and education levels – from engineers and IT specialists to healthcare workers, teachers, and process operators. The 2025 edition covers 80 municipalities and all 21 regions, enabling comparisons across the entire country. New this year are indexes for “ability to attract talent,” “ability to create growth,” and “Sweden’s future municipality” – an investment‑focused ranking showing where confidence in the future is strongest.