Danes’ settlement pattern in Skåne
Around 27 000 Danes live in Skåne; 20 000 are Danish citizens, of whom many (15 percent) were born in Sweden. Another 7 000 persons were born in Denmark but have become Swedish citizens. More than half of this group is over the age of 60.
- Migration accross Öresund 1998-2007
Source: Ørestat
The graph here indicates that immigration from Denmark to Skåne increased notably since 2000 and it has been an increasing trend since then. In 2007 immigration to Skåne decreased somewhat. The flow from Skåne to Denmark has also increased but more slowly. Many of these are Danes who move back after living some time in Skåne.
Almost all municipalities in Skåne have had an increased immigration from Denmark after 2000. In terms of numbers, the increase is largest in those municipalities that already had many Danes such as Malmö, Helsingborg and Landskrona. But Malmö accounts for a large part of the increase with nearly two thirds of those Danes who moved to Skåne in 2006 settling in Malmö. The percentage of Danes living in Helsingborg and Landskrona remain at roughly the same level.
It is natural that there are more Danes in the more populated municipalities. To illustrate this, a ratio has been calculated between a) each municipality’s percentage of all Danes who moved to Skåne during a given period and b) each municipality’s percentage of Skåne’s total population. This ratio illustrates whether the number of Danes who moved during different periods was larger or smaller than what was expected, particular the population of the given municipality. The maps on the next page show quite clearly that the municipalities in north-western Skåne and especially the smaller industrial municipalities such as Klippan, Åstorp, Perstorp and Örkelljunga have a clear overrepresentation of Danes who immigrated before 2000. For those who moved after the bridge opened the pattern is quite different. Malmö is completely predominant. Municipalities in eastern Skåne have a noticeably consistent underrepresentation of Danish citizens.
- Danish citizens in relation to Skåne’s total population, by period of immigration, municipal ratios
Source: Ørestat. Map: Region Skåne
After opening The Øresund Bridge the settlement pattern has changed, by a very clear and increased concentration towards Malmö, where proximity to the bridge and Copenhagen is probably an important factor. This is further illustrated by the facts that 85 percent of the gainfully employed Danes who moved to Skåne during 2000-2006 continued to work in Denmark even after moving. The distance has been calculated between the immigrated Danes’ dwellings and Svågertorp (the last train station in Skåne at one end of the bridge) to illustrate the significance of the proximity to The Øresund Bridge. Danes who moved to Skåne before 2000 do not live closer to the Danish end of the Bridge than the Skåne population in general. Settlement near the bridge has become more common after 2000. Every third Dane who moved to Skåne in 2005 and 2006 has settled within five kilometres of Svågertorp and more than 50 percent live within a 10 kilometre radius. This trend is even stronger among those who still commute to work in Denmark. Aside from central Malmö, two clear concentrations in Oxie and Bunkeflo in southern Malmö have emerged.
- Danish citizens`settlement in Skåne. Distance to The Øresund Bridge (Svågetorp) direct route in km by year of immigration to Sweden
Source: Region Skåne
