Foreign control of enterprises increased in Sweden with 1,292 enterprises in 2021. After the increase there were 14,989 foreign controlled enterprises in Sweden. The number of employees in the foreign controlled enterprises increased with 45,448 persons, which was an increase with 7 percent compared to last year’s survey. This meant that there were 753,948 employees in foreign-owned companies in Sweden in 2021.

Summary

Luxembourg ownership increased

Luxembourg was the country that accounted for the largest increase of foreign controlled enterprises in Sweden between 2020 and 2021 with an increase of 503 enterprises. Norway is the country that controls most enterprises in Sweden (2,339 companies) followed by the Great Britain (1,584 companies) and the Germany (1,425 companies).

The number of employees increases most in companies controlled from Luxembourg

Several countries increased their number of employees in Sweden in 2021. The largest increases occurred in companies controlled from the Luxembourg and Great Britain. The increases amounted to 17,642 and 15,465 employees. Over a longer period in 2011 to 2021, the largest increase in the number of employees has been in companies controlled from Germany, Norway and Japan with 25,666, 18,989 and 12,466 employees.

Highest number of employees in German controlled enterprises

Germany is once again the ownership country with the highest number of employees, 92,061; followed by Norway and the Netherlands with 76,141 and 75,661 employees respectively. Germany and Norway have been at the top for the past seven years while the Netherlands is new to the top three list for the year 2021.

A few large enterprises provide most employment

Of the foreign companies in 2021, 41 per cent had no employees and 45 per cent of the companies had 1 to 49 employees in Sweden. These enterprises, however, accounted only for 11 per cent of employees in foreign controlled enterprises. Large enterprises with 250 or more employees accounted for 4 per cent of all foreign controlled enterprises, but their share of employment was 67 per cent of all employees in foreign controlled enterprises. The companies with 50 to 249 employees in Sweden accounted for 10 per cent of the foreign companies and its share of employment was 22 per cent.