ABSTRACT
Sweden is small, cold and sparsely populated with an average of 20 inhabitants per square kilometre. In comparison to some other countries in Europe, almost the whole of Sweden might appear rural. However, certain parts of the country are more rural than others: a fact revealed by the ongoing debate over the growing imbalance between a few more densely populated urban areas or regions and the rest of Sweden. Stockholm, Gothenburg and some university towns have experienced recent population growth, but the majority of Sweden’s 289 municipalities have lost people. Only 81 had any increase in 1998 and these municipalities were primarily situated in the metropolitan areas (Johansson, M., 2001).
