Swedish city-country trends 1986–2025
From city-country divide to local development power
What the SOM Institute's report can mean for LEADER and Local Development Sweden
Source: Swedish city-country trends 1986–2025 – a special report on differences between city and countryside over time, SOM Institute at the University of Gothenburg.
Sweden has changed since the 1980s. Urbanization, digitalization, and changing social structures have affected how people live, work, and organize their lives. At the same time, the SOM Institute's report shows Swedish city-country trends 1986–2025 that several of the issues that have long characterized the relationship between city and countryside are still highly relevant.
For those of us working with LEADER, the report is interesting because it shows both the differences that exist between city and countryside today and how these have changed over nearly four decades.
Rural areas exhibit strong social resources in many respects in the form of trust, community, and engagement. At the same time, there is a growing feeling among many of its residents that resources, services, and influence are concentrated in larger cities.
Three important aspects over time
- The geographical justice issue has become clearer
One of the report's conclusions is that many people in rural areas feel that their localities are disadvantaged compared to larger cities. In 2025, 44 percent of residents in rural areas and small towns believe that their own locality is unfairly disadvantaged compared to other localities. At the same time, as many as 82 percent believe that too much is invested in the big cities.
In recent decades, the geographical dimension has thus become an increasingly clear part of the societal debate. Issues of justice are no longer solely about individuals' conditions but also about places' opportunities to develop.
This can be seen as relevant since the LEADER method is based on people having the opportunity to influence the development in their local community.
- Service has become a key issue for attractiveness and development
Access to services continues to be one of the biggest differences between city and countryside. Just over half of rural residents today feel that the distances to services are too long, which is more than twice as common as in cities.
At the same time, the report shows something interesting: support for proximity to services is strong across the country. Eight out of ten Swedes, regardless of where they live, believe that public services should be available close to people even if it means higher costs.
This shows that the service issue is not just a rural issue. It is about quality of life, security, and the ability to live and work throughout the country.
- Local trust has proven to be unusually resilient
Despite significant societal changes over the past 40 years, local trust remains strong. The report shows that rural residents are more likely than urban residents to trust their neighbors and people in their local area.
Six out of ten in rural areas state that they can get help from their neighbors if they were to become ill. Three out of four also feel high trust in the people where they live.
In a time when the societal debate often focuses on polarization and decreased cohesion, the report shows that local relationships still constitute a significant strength.
For LEADER, this can be viewed from a perspective where trust and cooperation are fundamental prerequisites for successful projects.
Three areas where the differences between city and countryside have increased
The experience of rural areas being disadvantaged
The biggest change concerns the perception of geographical imbalance. Many rural residents feel that investments, political focus, and community services are increasingly concentrated in larger cities.
This feeling recurs in several parts of the report and also affects the view of societal development in general.
Access to services
Despite new technology and digitalization, the differences in access to services are still significant. Issues related to healthcare, trade, public transport, and public functions continue to distinguish city from countryside.
The report shows that this is one of the areas where people's everyday experiences still look distinctly different depending on their place of residence.
Perceived influence over societal development
Rural residents perceive to a lesser extent than urban residents that citizens are involved in governmental decision-making processes. The difference is not dramatic, but clear.
The results point to a growing need for complementary forms of influence where people can participate in shaping development in practice.
Three areas where the differences have been stable
Shared democratic values
Despite increased debate about city and countryside, there is nothing in the report that suggests Sweden is developing into two different value-based societies.
Fundamental democratic values are still shared by people regardless of their place of residence.
Civil society continues to be strong
Community life and voluntary engagement have changed over time, but they still constitute an important part of the social structure of society.
In many places, local community life remains a driving force for activities, meeting places, and development initiatives.
The significance of local community
The sense of belonging to one's own place has been surprisingly stable throughout the entire period covered by the report.
People continue to highly value neighbors, local networks, and proximity to other people, regardless of whether they live in the city or in the countryside.
What could this mean for the LEADER method?
LEADER strengthens local democracy
The report shows that many people want greater opportunities to influence decisions that affect their everyday lives. Here, the LEADER method offers a concrete tool where residents, businesses, associations, and the public sector can jointly shape development.
In a time when many feel that decisions are made far away, local influence becomes increasingly important.
LEADER can contribute to the service solutions of the future
Service issues are likely to continue to be crucial for the attractiveness of rural areas.
Through local collaboration, Leader has for many years contributed to solutions regarding meeting places, service points, local hubs, and other initiatives that complement public efforts. The report shows that the need for such solutions remains.
LEADER takes advantage of the countryside's strongest resource
The report shows that our rural areas are still characterized by high trust, strong community, and significant local engagement.
This social capital is also one of the countryside's most important development resources. LEADER creates structures that make it possible to transform this power into concrete development, new ideas, and long-term collaborations.
Future development needs to be place-based
The report clearly shows that different geographies have different conditions. The challenges do not look the same in a big city as in a smaller town or in rural areas. The challenges also differ between our rural areas in the country.
This strengthens the arguments for place-based development, where solutions are designed based on local needs, local resources, and local knowledge.
This is also the core of the Leader method.
Possible conclusion
The SOM Institute's report shows that Sweden is still characterized by significant differences between urban and rural areas, especially regarding services, perceived influence, and views on how resources are distributed. At the same time, the report shows that rural areas have strong assets in the form of trust, community, engagement, and local responsibility.
For Local Development Sweden and Sweden's Leader areas, this is an important signal. Development is not created solely through national reforms or large investments. It is also created through people's ability to collectively identify needs, mobilize resources, and take responsibility for the future of their own place.