Malmö is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the seventh-largest city in the Nordic region. Located on the Öresund strait on the southwestern coast of Sweden, it is the largest city in Scania, with a municipal population of 365,644 in 2024, and is the gubernatorial seat of Skåne County. Malmö received its city privileges in 1353, and today Malmö's metropolitan region is home to over 700,000 people.
Malmö is the site of Sweden's only fixed direct link to continental Europe, the Öresund Bridge, completed in 2000. The bridge connects Sweden to Denmark, and carries both road and rail traffic. The Öresund Region, which includes Malmö and Copenhagen, is home to four million people.
The city was one of the earliest and most-industrialised in Scandinavia, and the birthplace of several of Scandinavia's largest industrial groups, such as Kockums, Skanska, and Scania AB. The city has undergone a major transformation in the 21st century, and today, Malmö is characterised by many small and medium-sized companies in biotech, logistics, IT, construction, and real estate markets. It also is home to Malmö University and other higher education facilities.
Malmö contains many historic buildings and parks, and is a commercial centre for the western part of Scania. It is home to Malmö FF, the Swedish football club with the most Allsvenskan titles, and the only Nordic club to have reached the final of the European Cup. It is also home to women's football club FC Rosengård, the most successful club in the Damallsvenskan.
The city was Sweden's fastest-growing in 2020, and the population increased by 3,800 inhabitants during 2021. As of 2024, almost half the municipal population of Malmö had a foreign background with the city being home to people from 187 different countries. Malmö's population is expected to increase by about 29,000 new residents by 2035 with a total 395,000 residents, and a population of 500,000 by 2050.
Malmö has a mild climate for the latitude and, normally, average high temperatures remain above freezing in winter, with prolonged snow cover being rare.
History
1275–1658 (Denmark)
The earliest written mention of Malmö as a city dates from 1275. It is thought to have been founded shortly before that date, as a fortified quay or ferry berth of the Danish Archbishop of Lund, 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the north-east. Its original name was Malmhaug (with alternative spellings), meaning "Gravel pile" or "Ore Hill".
In the 15th century, Malmö became one of Denmark's largest and most visited cities, reaching a population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants. It became the most important city around the Öresund, with the German Hanseatic League frequenting it as a marketplace, and was notable for its flourishing herring fishery. In 1437, King Erik of Pomerania (King of Denmark from 1396 to 1439) granted the city's arms: argent with a griffin gules, based on Eric's arms from Pomerania. The griffin's head as a symbol of Malmö extended to the entire province of Skåne from 1660.
In 1434, a new citadel was constructed at the beach south of the town. This fortress, known today as Malmöhus, did not take its current form until the mid-16th century. Several other fortifications were constructed, making Malmö Sweden's most fortified city, but only Malmöhus remains.
Lutheran teachings spread during the 16th century Protestant Reformation, and Malmö became one of the first cities in Scandinavia to fully convert (1527–1529) to this Protestant denomination.
1658 onwards (Sweden)
In the 17th century, Malmö and the Skåneland region came under control of Sweden following the Treaty of Roskilde with Denmark, signed in 1658. Fighting continued, however; in June 1677, 14,000 Danish troops laid siege to Malmö for a month, but were unable to defeat the Swedish troops holding it.
By the dawn of the 18th century, Malmö had about 3,000 inhabitants. However, owing to the wars of Charles XII of Sweden (reigned 1697–1718) and to bubonic plague epidemics, the population dropped to 1,800 by 1727. The population did not grow much until the modern harbour was constructed in 1775. The city started to expand and the population in 1800 was 4,000. 15 years later, it had increased to 6,000.
In 1840, Frans Henrik Kockum founded the workshop from which the Kockums shipyard eventually developed as one of the largest shipyards in the world. The Southern Main Line was built between 1856 and 1864; this enabled Malmö to become a centre of manufacture, with major textile and mechanical industries. In 1870, Malmö overtook Norrköping to become Sweden's third-most populous city, and by 1900 Malmö had strengthened this position with 60,000 inhabitants. Malmö continued to grow through the first half of the 20th century. The population had swiftly increased to 100,000 by 1915 and to 200,000 by 1952.
1900–1969
In 1914 (15 May to 4 October), Malmö hosted the Baltic Exhibition. The large park Pildammsparken was arranged and planted for this large event. The Russian part of the exhibition was never taken down, owing to the outbreak of World War I.
On 18 and 19 December 1914, the Three Kings Meeting was held in Malmö. After a somewhat disturbed period (1905–1914), which included the dissolution of the Swedish-Norwegian Union, King Oscar II was replaced with King Håkon VII in Norway, who was the younger brother of the Danish King Christian X. As Oscar died in 1907, and his son Gustav V became the new King of Sweden, the tensions within Scandinavia were still unresolved, but during this historical meeting, the Scandinavian Kings found internal understanding, as well as a common line about remaining neutral in the ongoing war.
Within sports, Malmö has mostly been associated with football. IFK Malmö participated in the first edition of Allsvenskan in 1924–25, but from the mid-1940s Malmö FF started to rise, and ever since it has been one of the most prominent clubs within Swedish football. They have finished first in Allsvenskan (series winners) a record 27 times and have been crowned Swedish champions a record 24 times (most recently in 2024).
1970–1999
By 1971, Malmö's population reached 265,000 inhabitants, but this was the peak which would stand for more than 30 years. (Svedala was, for a few years in the early 1970s, a part of Malmö municipality.)
By the mid-1970s Sweden experienced a recession that hit the industrial sector especially hard; shipyards and manufacturing industries suffered, which led to high unemployment in many cities of Skåne. Kockums shipyard had become a symbol of Malmö as its largest employer and, when shipbuilding ceased in 1986, confidence in the future of Malmö plummeted among politicians and the public. In addition, many middle-class families moved into one-family houses in surrounding municipalities such as Vellinge Municipality, Lomma Municipality and Staffanstorp Municipality, which profiled themselves as the suburbs of the upper-middle class. By 1985, Malmö had lost 37,000 inhabitants and the population was down to 225,500.
The Swedish financial crises of the early 1990s exacerbated Malmö's decline as an industrial city; between 1990 and 1995 Malmö lost about 27,000 jobs and its economy was seriously strained. In 1994, the city had a financial deficit of 1.3 billion Swedish krona (SEK), the highest financial deficit ever by any municipality in Sweden. However, from 1994 under the leadership of the then mayor Ilmar Reepalu, the city of Malmö started to create a new economy as a centre of culture and knowledge. Malmö reached bottom in 1995, but that same year marked the commencement of the massive Öresund Bridge road, railway and tunnel project, connecting it to Copenhagen and to the rail lines of Europe. The new Malmö University opened in 1998 on Kockums' former dockside.
2000s and later
Further redevelopment of the now disused south-western harbour followed; a city architecture exposition (Bo01) was held in the area in 2001, and its buildings and villas form the core of a new city district. Designed with attractive waterfront vistas, it was intended to attract, and has been successful in attracting, the urban middle-class.
Since 1974, the Kockums Crane had been a landmark in Malmö and a symbol of the city's manufacturing industry, but in 2002 it was disassembled and moved to South Korea. In 2005, Malmö gained a new landmark with completion of Turning Torso, the tallest skyscraper in Scandinavia. Although the transformation from a city with its economic base in manufacturing has returned growth to Malmö, the new types of jobs have largely benefited the middle and upper classes.
In its 2015 and 2017 reports, Police in Sweden placed the Rosengård and the Södra Sofielund/Seved district in the most severe category of urban areas with high crime rates. In 2023, however, the situation in Södra Sofielund/Seved was deemed as improving, and it was re-categorised to being a Vulnerable area, the less severe category.
Malmö is currently growing fast and detailed work is being planned near the Malmö Central Station, in a district called Nyhamnen. Nyhamnen will provide 9,000 new housings, two larger buildings for offices and courts. It is expected to be complete around 2040–2050.
The Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present) has had an impact in Malmö, which has a large population with roots in the region. Following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, public celebrations were reported in Malmö, leading to the suspension of cooperation between the Jewish community and the Islamic Academy. During Eurovision 2024, which was held in Malmö, demonstrations were held in the city against Israel's participation. SVT reported in 2024 that Palestinian flags had become more prominent in the cityscape, and a roundabout in Möllevången, previously nicknamed "the drug roundabout," has been renamed by some locals as the "Gaza Roundabout."
Geography
Malmö is located at 13°00' east and 55°35' north, near the southwestern tip of Sweden, in Skåne County.
The city is part of the transnational Öresund Region and, since 2000, has been linked by the Öresund Bridge across the Öresund to Copenhagen, Denmark. The bridge opened on 1 July 2000, and measures 8 kilometres (5 miles) (the whole link totalling 16 km), with pylons reaching 204.5 metres (670.9 feet) vertically. Apart from the Helsingborg-Helsingør ferry links further north, most ferry connections have been discontinued.
Climate
Malmö, like the rest of southern Sweden, has an oceanic climate (Cfb). Despite its northern location, the climate is mild compared to other locations at similar latitudes, mainly because of the influence of the Gulf Stream and also its westerly position on the Eurasian landmass. Owing to its northern latitude, daylight lasts 17 hours 31 minutes in midsummer, but only around seven hours in midwinter. According to data from 2002 to 2014 Falsterbo, to the south of the city, received an annual average of 1,895 hours of sunshine while Lund, to the north, received 1,803 hours. The sunshine data in the weather box is based on the data for Falsterbo.
Summers are mild with average high temperatures of 20 to 23 °C (68 to 73 °F) and lows of around 11 to 13 °C (52 to 55 °F). Heat waves during the summer arise occasionally. Winters are fairly cold and windy, with temperatures steady between −3 and 4 °C (27 and 39 °F), but it rarely drops below −10 °C (14 °F).
Rainfall is light to moderate throughout the year with 169 wet days. Snowfall occurs mainly in December through March, but snow covers do not remain for a long time, and some winters are free of snow.
Transport
Air
Malmö Airport, also known as Sturup Airport, is located approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) east of central Malmö in Svedala Municipality. It primarily serves domestic routes, charter flights, and low-cost carriers.
For international travel, Copenhagen Airport is more commonly used and is accessible from Malmö Central Station by train in approximately 20 minutes.
Rail
Malmö is served by seven railway stations, the main one being Malmö Central Station. Via the City Tunnel, Malmö Central is connected to Triangeln and Hyllie stations, where all regional and local trains also stop. From Hyllie, the line links to the Öresund line and the Öresund Bridge, connecting Malmö to Copenhagen. The remaining stations Svågertorp, Persborg, Rosengård and Östervärn are located on the city's outskirts and are exclusively served by local trains.
Long distance and regional trains
There are several regular long distance trains departing from Malmö Central Station. SJ operates X 2000 trains to Stockholm and Gothenburg and night trains to Stockholm, Hamburg and Berlin. Snälltåget runs day trains to Stockholm and night trains to Åre in northern Sweden, to Hamburg, Berlin and Dresden in Germany and to Salzburg and Innsbruck in Austria. Lastly, Vy operates trains to Oslo, Norway.Öresund trains connect Malmö to Copenhagen, and Copenhagen Airport via the Öresund Bridge, taking approximately 40 minutes and running as frequently as every 10 minutes during rush hour or hourly at night. On the Swedish side, the trains continue northeast towards Lund, before branching towards different destinations, such as Gothenburg, Kalmar and Karlskrona.
Local trains
Interurban trains called Pågatågen connect Malmö to smaller localities in Scania, such as Ystad and Trelleborg. Within Malmö, a service known as the Malmöpendeln operates every 30 minutes on a circular route calling at all stations in Malmö, before continuing to Lomma or Kävlinge. This service started in December 2018 and carried about 600,000 passengers in 2024, a figure which was lower than originally expected.
Proposed metro
The Öresund Metro is a proposed rapid transit network linking Malmö with the existing Copenhagen Metro through a 22 kilometres (14 miles) tunnel under the Öresund. It is a project that has been proposed since 2012. A metro station can be placed in the Galeonen which is a sub-area located in the far north of Västra hamnen. The Galeon is the only larger area in Västra hamnen that is not planned yet and Malmö's general plan states that the expansion of the area is expected to take place 2032 to 2041. The connection between Malmö and Copenhagen will take approximately 20 minutes instead of 40 minutes by the Öresund Bridge. The construction cost is estimated at 4 billion euros with a construction period of 6–7 years.
Road network
The motorway system has been incorporated with the Öresund Bridge; the European route E20 goes over the bridge and then, together with the European route E6 follows the Swedish west coast from Malmö–Helsingborg to Gothenburg. E6 goes further north along the west coast and through Norway to the Norwegian town Kirkenes at Barents Sea. The European route to Jönköping–Stockholm (E4) starts at Helsingborg. Main roads in the directions of Växjö–Kalmar, Kristianstad–Karlskrona, Ystad (E65), and Trelleborg start as freeways.
Malmö has 410 kilometres (250 mi) of bike paths; approximately 40% of all commuting is done by bicycle.
Buses
Malmö has an extensive network of buses within the city, and is also the destination of many regional bus lines from the rest of Skåne. The bus network replaced the tram network that existed from 1887 to 1973.
Ports
The city has two industrial harbours; one is still in active use and is the largest Nordic port for car imports. It also has two marinas: the publicly owned Limhamn Marina (55°35′N 12°55′E) and the private Lagunen (55°35′N 12°56′E), both offering a limited number of guest docks.
Municipality
Malmö Municipality is an administrative unit defined by geographical borders, consisting of the City of Malmö and its immediate surroundings.
Malmö (Malmö tätort) consists of the urban part of the municipality together with the small town of Arlöv in Burlöv Municipality. Both municipalities also include smaller urban areas and rural areas, such as the suburbs of Oxie and Åkarp. Malmö tätort is to be distinguished from Malmö stad (the city of Malmö), which is a semi-official name of Malmö Municipality.
The leaders in Malmö created a commission for a socially sustainable Malmö in November 2010. The commissions were tasked with providing evidence-based strategies for reducing health inequalities and improve living conditions for all citizens of Malmö, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged and issued its final report in December 2013.