Stockholm narrowly missed becoming a million-person city in 2025, falling short by just 761 residents according to new population statistics from Statistics Sweden (SCB). The capital city's population reached 999,239 people at the end of 2025, despite the city's earlier projections that it would surpass the one million mark during the year.
Stockholm experienced a population increase of 3,665 residents in 2025, representing the second-largest growth in Sweden after Gothenburg. However, this increase was smaller than anticipated, leaving the city just shy of the milestone. The previous year's population stood at 995,574.
the continued population growth despite lower-than-expected birth rates is due to people living longer and continued migration to the capital
Ellen Forsberg, one of the city's statisticians, explained to local newspaper Mitti that the continued population growth despite lower-than-expected birth rates is due to people living longer and continued migration to the capital.
Nationally, Sweden's population reached 10,605,500 people at the end of 2025, an increase of 17,800 people compared to 2024. Stockholm County recorded the largest population increase in the country with 13,000 additional residents, representing a 0.5 percent growth rate.
The data reveals a broader trend of population decline across Sweden, with 14 of 21 counties and 180 of 290 municipalities experiencing population decreases in 2025, marking an increase from the previous year when only 9 counties and 169 municipalities saw declines.