Swedes’ data consumption continues to surge. In the first quarter of this year, the average Swedish household used 555 gigabytes per month — a 17 percent increase compared with the same period last year. This is the first time the average has exceeded 550 GB/month, according to new figures from GlobalConnect’s Surf Index.
To put that in perspective, 555 GB is equivalent to more than 500 hours of streaming video on Netflix, or roughly 318 days of streamed music on Spotify.
Overall, Swedish households consumed 16.7 percent more data over fiber on GlobalConnect’s extensive fiber network in Sweden during the first three months of the year compared with the same period last year.
Growing demands on infrastructure
“We have seen a pronounced increase in data consumption in recent years, and this trend continues to place new demands on us as owners and builders of infrastructure. Even though levels are already high, growth remains rapid, reflecting how streaming services, cloud storage and digital services have become fully integrated into daily life. Emerging uses such as AI are adding further pressure on capacity. For GlobalConnect, this means we must keep investing in, expanding and reinforcing the network to meet the rising demand from households, businesses and data centers,” says Philip Wagrowski, Business Lead at GlobalConnect.
Major shifts in internet use — Västra Götaland leads
Over the past year there has been a noticeable change in the distribution of internet usage across Sweden’s counties when comparing Q1 2024 with Q1 2025. Västra Götaland, which ranked third with an average of 556 GB/month in Q1 2024, now leads with 672 GB/month, showing a strong increase in data use.
At the same time, counties at the bottom of the list such as Kalmar and Örebro have not experienced the same growth. Kalmar, which had the lowest average at 322 GB/month in Q1 2024, rose only to 375 GB/month in Q1 2025. Örebro and Östergötland also show smaller changes, placing lower with 477 GB and 468 GB respectively.
Data consumption by county — First quarter 2025
- Västra Götaland – 672 GB
- Jönköping – 658 GB
- Uppsala – 646 GB
- Västmanland – 643 GB
- Västernorrland – 642 GB
- Blekinge – 627 GB
- Gävleborg – 604 GB
- Stockholm – 592 GB
- Skåne – 573 GB
- Norrbotten – 566 GB
- Värmland – 558 GB
- Dalarna – 518 GB
- Jämtland – 516 GB
- Södermanland – 515 GB
- Gotland – 500 GB
- Kronoberg – 496 GB
- Örebro – 477 GB
- Östergötland – 468 GB
- Halland – 461 GB
- Kalmar – 375 GB
Data consumption by county — First quarter 2024
- Västernorrland – 573 GB
- Uppsala – 562 GB
- Västra Götaland – 556 GB
- Jönköping – 542 GB
- Västmanland – 530 GB
- Stockholm – 522 GB
- Gävleborg – 518 GB
- Blekinge – 500 GB
- Skåne – 499 GB
- Värmland – 479 GB
- Jämtland – 463 GB
- Norrbotten – 459 GB
- Dalarna – 452 GB
- Södermanland – 450 GB
- Halland – 446 GB
- Kronoberg – 436 GB
- Gotland – 429 GB
- Östergötland – 392 GB
- Örebro – 385 GB
- Kalmar – 322 GB
Stockholm takes the lead — major changes among Sweden’s largest cities
Over the past year there have also been significant shifts in internet usage among Sweden’s largest cities. Stockholm, which ranked third with an average of 627 GB/month in Q1 2024, now leads with 765 GB/month in Q1 2025 — a notable 22% increase in data consumption.
Gothenburg, which was second at the start of 2024 with 653 GB/month, has also risen and now holds the second spot with 755 GB/month, representing a 16% increase.
Malmö, which topped the list in Q1 2024 with 670 GB/month, has seen a smaller rise and is now third with 717 GB/month, a 7% increase. This overall growth likely reflects rising demand for network capacity in the capital region and other major cities, which in turn drives the need for higher data throughput.
“It is clear we are seeing a continued strong rise in internet use, especially in metropolitan areas. Stockholm’s lead reflects growing demand for greater network capacity as digital services and streaming continue to expand. Gothenburg and Malmö follow closely, showing that other major Swedish cities also need to strengthen their infrastructure to meet increasing data usage,” says Philip Wagrowski.
Top 3: First quarter 2024 (in GB/month)
- Malmö – 670 GB
- Gothenburg – 653 GB
- Stockholm – 627 GB
Top 3: First quarter 2025 (in GB/month)
- Stockholm – 765 GB
- Gothenburg – 755 GB
- Malmö – 717 GB
Note: Counties with too few access points have been excluded from the compilation because the data base is not statistically sufficient for a reliable result.