The Øresund region linking Denmark and Sweden has reached its strongest integration level since measurements began in 2015. New data from the Øresundsindex shows the region’s nine-point integration scorecard climbing to 115 for 2026—up from 112 the previous year—driven by surging cross-border traffic, record-breaking commuter numbers, and expanding business ties.
The index, which tracks development across nine indicators spanning traffic, employment, commerce, and daily-life integration, has become the region’s barometer for transnational cohesion. Five indicators rose this year, three remained steady, and only one declined, signalling sustained momentum in how effectively Denmark and Sweden are leveraging their shared infrastructure and proximity.
Commuting and movement reach breaking points
The most striking gains came in cross-border movement. Personal journeys over the Øresund exceeded 40 million for the first time in 2025, averaging roughly 112,000 individual trips daily—a six percent jump from 2024. That figure underscores the region’s gravitational pull for workers, students, shoppers, and visitors moving freely across the bridge.
Border commuting has proven especially resilient. During the final quarter of 2025, nearly 22,900 people commuted daily to work on the opposite side of Øresund—part of a sustained nine percent annual increase. Commuting reached its highest recorded level since the index began tracking the metric, climbing to 133 on the index scale (where 2015 = 100).
Goods transport remained stable at 117, though the composition shifted. Truck traffic via the Øresund Bridge rose, even as ferry and rail freight declined—likely reflecting broader logistics patterns and modal preferences rather than weakness in regional commerce.
Education and residence patterns diverge
The employment picture tells a more nuanced story. While Swedish-owned enterprises in Denmark’s eastern regions continued expanding, fewer Danish companies established themselves in Skåne during 2025. Swedish student enrolment in Danish universities, however, rebounded for a second consecutive year after years of decline—a potential signal that the region may be reversing a long-term trend in educational exchange.
Residential patterns and property ownership showed mixed signals. The number of Swedes settling in eastern Denmark climbed to record levels, while Danish summer home ownership in Skåne contracted slightly, losing 32 properties. Cross-border relocations overall remained flat compared with 2024.
Tourism poised for disruption as train journey halves
The report flags an emerging wildcard: the opening of the Femern Belt tunnel, expected to halve travel time between Hamburg and Copenhagen and potentially reshape tourism flows across the region. Germany is already one of the two nations’ most significant visitor markets, with 21.9 million German visits to Denmark’s five core regions and 1.4 million to the five corresponding Swedish counties in 2025.
Overnight stays from Danish visitors to Skåne climbed six percent, while Swedish overnights in eastern Denmark dipped two percent—reflecting broader travel preferences rather than declining region-to-region attraction.
