How the game industry has grown in the Stockholm region
The Swedish game industry has grown rapidly in recent years, developing from a hobby for enthusiasts into a culturally and economically significant global industry.
In Stockholm, some of the world's biggest game companies rub shoulders with creative start-ups at the cutting edge of game development. And the sector is flourishing: more than half of the Swedish game companies currently active started life after 2010.
This flurry of innovation is also reflected on balance sheets. Total revenue for Swedish game companies increased to EUR 2.29 billion during 2019, a 23% increase compared to 2018. Most companies are profitable and the sector as a whole has reported profits for eleven years running.
Thanks to the explosive growth in recent years, game companies in Sweden now number 442. Around half of the companies are start-ups founded within the last five years.
In all, 222 of the companies are incorporated in the greater Stockholm region, also known as the Stockholm Business Alliance (SBA), a partnership of 53 municipalities. The focus of the partnership is to attract foreign direct investment and international talent to the region.
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How many people work with games in Sweden?
Of the game companies with more than 50 employees, 13 out of 16 are based in Stockholm. On average game enterprises in the greater Stockholm region employ 19 people compared to a mean value of 14 nationally.
- Game industry employees (Sweden): 5,500
- Game industry workers (Stockholm): 3,500
The number of game industry employees in Sweden has grown by 50% from 2016-2019. It is also worth noting that the figures are based on full-time positions at limited companies. The actual number of people working in the games industry rises to 8,500 when consultants, part time workers and employees at non-limited companies are taken into account.
Stockholm games ecosystem
The Stockholm games industry is evolving fast. Here's a snapshot of the state of play in May 2019.

Jenny Berthling
Business Development Manager
Phone: +46 (0)8-508 28 008
Mobile: +46 (0)7047 28 008
E-mail: jenny.berthling@stockholm.se