Number of commuters
In November 2007, some 17 100 persons commuted daily between home and work across the Öresund. The clear majority, 15 300, commuted across the Øresund Bridge. Commuter traffic has increased by 3 800 persons during 2007, which is a new record.
Commuting across Øresund has increased fivefold since the opening of the Øresund Bridge in 2000. The increase in the number of commuters across Öresund has been exceptionally large during both 2006 and 2007, when Danish companies have had shortage of manpower. In addition, differences in housing prices on the Danish and Swedish sides of Öresund added momentum to the movements across Öresund.
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Who are the commuters and how do they commute?
92 percent of the commuters live in Sweden and work in Denmark. 41 percent of the commuters drive their cars across the bridge, while the rest travel by rail. Most Danes who have moved to Skåne choose to drive to work to a greater extent than Swedish commuters do. 63 percent of all car commuters have a Danish background, which is true of only 36 percent of rail commuters. Despite the majority of Öresund’s commuters are living in Skåne, most of these commuters were born in Denmark. This is because there have been such strong economic incentives to move to Skåne during the entire period since the opening of the Øresund Bridge. Due to shortage of manpower in Denmark, Danish companies began recruiting Swedish labour at an increasing rate during 2006. Because of the demographic development of Zealand and Skåne, it is expected that the labour supply will become an ever more serious problem on the Danish side of Öresund than on the Swedish one. Therefore, it is assumed that future commuting will be driven by labour market integration to an even greater extent and not as much by the housing market integration as was the case in the years following the opening of the Øresund Bridge.
- Öresund commuters by place of residence
Source: Ørestat. Footnote: 2006/07 The Øresund Bridge traffic calculations
- Öresund commuters by country of birth
Source: Ørestat. Footnote: 2006/07 The Øresund Bridge traffic calculations.
- Commuters by country of birth and place of residence for 1999
Source: Ørestat
- Commuters by country of birth and place of residence for 2005
Source: Ørestat
Geographic distribution of commuting from Skåne
The increase in the commuter flow from Öresund SE to Öresund DK has mainly occurred between Southern Skåne and Copenhagen and the surrounding vicinity. Commuter traffic between Southern Skåne and Copenhagen and the surrounding vicinity comprised 55 percent of all the commuting over Öresund in 1999. In 2005 it comprised all of 79 percent and is assumed to account for even more in 2007.
Industrial activity by commuters from Öresund SE to Öresund DK
The majority of Öresund’s commuters from Skåne work in the Danish service sector. This reflects the structure of industry in the Copenhagen area, with a strong emphasis on business services, research and development (R&D) and trade. Trade and business services have seen the especially strong increases in personnel from Skåne since 2000.
- Industry activity among commuters living in the Öresund SE with jobs in Öresund DK
Source: Ørestat
