The desire to move to northern Norrland is increasing at a record rate
Nearly two out of three young adults would consider moving to Norrbotten and Västerbotten, according to a new survey conducted by Novus on behalf of LKAB.
– It is a big difference from the last two years when we have conducted this survey. Above all, interest among young people and job seekers has increased significantly, and it is very positive to see that the threshold has been lowered to get people to move here, says Maria Reinholdsson, HR Director at LKAB.
More than one in three people (35%) is open to moving north themselves, and the desire to move is most evident among young people. From 41 percent last year who could consider moving, it is now 62 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 who would consider moving to northern Norrland. Looking at all those who responded to the survey, the main reasons were proximity to nature (43%), job opportunities (39%) and less stress (21%).
kirun is the place that has increased the most in attractiveness. From 8 percent to 11 percent. In terms of where one might consider moving, the city is in fourth place in northern Norrland, close behind Umeå, Luleå, and Skellefteå. Even more popular is Kiruna among those under 30, here a full 17 percent indicate Kiruna as a possible place to live.
Strong belief in development in the north
The survey also shows that over half of Swedes (54%) believe in stronger development in the north than in the rest of the country, which is an increase of 4 percentage points from last year, and that there will be an increase in the population in the region, also an increase of 4 percentage points from last year. The growing need for skills means great opportunities, but also great challenges.
– In addition to plenty of jobs, there must also be a range of housing, leisure, schools and healthcare so that those who have moved north want to stay. How can we meet this together? It is a key issue to solve, urgent for Norrbotten but also a matter of concern for all of Sweden, says Anders Öberg, regional councillor at Region Norrbotten.
– Developments in the north provide exciting opportunities for new thinking. Luleå University of Technology has a key role here. Partly through our research in close collaboration with industry and the surrounding community, and partly through our education programs that contribute to securing the supply of skills. The fact that six out of ten students in the survey would consider moving north is a positive signal, says Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, Vice-Chancellor at Luleå University of Technology.
Luleå is the second most popular city in northern Norrland, after Umeå. Photo: Simon Eliasson
Discussion in Almedalen
The results of the survey and their significance are one of the topics at Norra Scen in Almedalen.
On Wednesday at 7.30:XNUMX we kick off with the breakfast seminar. Migration flow northwards – from potential to reality. You can follow it on site at Fiskargränd 5 in Visby or in our live broadcast at developorrbotten.se/almedalen.
contribute:
Karin Hübinette, Moderator
Peter Larsson, Government Coordinator
Fredrik Sammeli, Member of Parliament
Lena Hadad, HR Director, Swedish Public Employment Service
Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, Vice-Chancellor, Luleå University of Technology
Anders Öberg, Regional Councillor (S), Norrbotten Region
Mattias Karlsson, Member of Parliament
About the survey
The survey was conducted by Novus on behalf of LKAB between May 18th and 25th, 2023. The results are based on over 1042 responses, which is a response rate of 63%, from Novus' randomly recruited and nationally representative Swedish panel aged 18-79. The results are weighted against Statistics Sweden in terms of gender, age, education and geography.