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Since the 1950s Nordic citizens have been free to move across borders into neighbouring countries to work. This could involve settling in a different country, or staying on in your own country while earning money in another. Anyone who chooses to stay in their home country but who mainly work in the neighbouring country is called a cross border commuter.

It is mostly Swedes who take the opportunity to commute to Norway and Denmark, and between 2001 and 2008 the Swedish share of commuting rose from 65 to 80 percent. 47,000 Swedes in total cross border commuted to Denmark and Norway in 2008, which is an increase of 166 percent on 2001. Cross border commuting to Denmark is centred on the Öresund region, while commuting to Norway is more spread out, albeit with a concentration on the Västra Götaland region, Värmland and Dalarna. In 2008 there was at least one person from each municipality in Sweden who commuted to Norway and more than 50 municipalities had more than 200 citizens who worked in the neighbouring country. 

Many of the cross border commuters are young - in 2008 more than half were younger than 35. The number of women is rising and in that year they represented 35 percent of all cross border commuters. Around half of the commuters have finished college and one third have further education. 

The growing mining industry in the north and IKEA opening up in Haparanda has probably contributed to increase the cross border commuting between Sweden and Finland in later years, but there are still no statistics showing the number of commuters to and from Finland. There are also no statistics showing how many business people take on projects in their neighbouring country.

Sources: ‘Cross border commuting from Sweden to Denmark and Norway between 2001 and 2008’, a report being finalised by Statistics Sweden on commission from the Nordic Council of Ministers.