Stockholm City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is the biggest Nordic city with almost 1 million inhabitants. Well known for its architecture and the annual ceremony of the Nobel Prizes, Stockholm is also one of the economic powerhouses of Scandinavia.

But how is Stockholm performing in terms of city reputation and influence, business attractiveness and sustainability? Let’s explore deeper how Stockholm positions itself on the world stage, drawing insights from data provided by TPBO partners and other reputable institutions.

Let’s take a closer look at:

  • Stockholm’s competitiveness and financial performance
  • Stockholm’s brand strength and global attractiveness
  • Livability: Stockholm’s appeal for digital nomads and locals

Stockholm’s competitiveness and financial performance

How attractive is Stockholm as a place to work and do business?

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Stockholm 40th, dropping nine positions from the previous ranking. It is currently sitting between Melbourne (39th) and Calgary (41st). Stockholm holds the 13th place in the Western European region, sitting in between Amsterdam and Dublin.

According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023 Stockholm ranks 13th, a jump of six positions from the previous ranking. The city now sits in between Chicago (12th) and Dubai (14th).


Stockholm’s brand strength and global attractiveness

Which subfactors hurt and help the brand of Stockholm?

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks Stockholm 29th, scoring the following in the Place Power highlights: 2nd in Labour Force Participation, and 9th in Educational Attainment. It currently sits in between Riyahd (28th) and Munich (30th).

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks Stockholm 40th, falling four positions compared to last years’ publication. Stockholm ranks 8th for the Global Cities Outlook, a drop of three positions since the previous ranking.

The comprehensive ranking of the Global Power City Index ranks Stockholm 16th. In terms of function-specific rankings, the city ranks 20th in terms of Economy, 25th in R&D, 32nd in Cultural Interaction, 10th in Livability, 1st in Environment, and 22nd in Accessibility. Admirably, Stockholm ranks 5th in Urban Greenery and 6th for Average Driving Speed. Lastly, Stockholm positioned 21st in the Highly-skilled Workers, 14th in the Corporate Executive, 9th in the Resident, and 28th in the Tourism categories.

According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Berlin ranks 18th in the global ranking with a score of 71.8/100, sitting in between Zurich (17th) and Milan (19th).


Livability: Stockholm’s appeal for digital nomads and locals

Which aspects of Stockholm’s urban living make it an attractive place to live, work and study?

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Stockholm 26th, tying with Stuttgart. The Mercer Cost of Living Ranking ranks Stockholm 95th behind Canberra (94th) and Nuremberg (96th). The cost living survey reports that factors such as currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices are key to determine the cost of expat packages for employees on international assignment.

According to the Best Urban Cities for Digital Nomads ranking by Spot a Home, Stockholm ranks 33rd out of 56 global cities. It currently sits between Vilnius (32nd) and Helsinki (34th).

The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks Stockholm 2nd overall, sitting in between Oslo (1st) and Tokyo (3rd). Nairobi’s pillar rankings are the following: Planet 82nd, People 98th, Profit 95th. The city ranks highest on Wi-Fi, income inequality, work-life balance, air pollution, sustainable transport, ease of doing business, and green finance.

Lastly, Stockholm is home to a couple of the best universities in the world. According to The Times Higher Education ranking, Karolinska Institute ranks 50th and KTH Royal Institute of Technology ranks 95th. Whereas, The QS World University ranking ranks KTH Royal Institute of Technology 73rd.


Last updated in January 2024. More city benchmarking insights, profiles and reports in our City Observatory.


Enjoyed our summary of global rankings and indices on Stockholm’s economic performance, its sustainability, attractiveness for digital nomads, brand strength and reputation? Thanks for sharing!

TPBO
TPBOhttps://placebrandobserver.com

Join us at the intersection of research and practice in place branding. TPBO spotlights impactful place brand stories, from showcases to our flagship yearbook. Learn from leaders in our Who is Who World Map. Connect with us on LinkedIn for insights and join our mailing list for the latest place brand impact stories and strategies.

- Introducing: World's Best in Place Branding -spot_img

Latest articles