Västra Götaland

Baseline map for Västra Götaland

Västra Götaland (VG) is the largest region in Southern Sweden and with 1.5 million inhabitants contains one sixth of Sweden’s population. The average population density is 62 inhabitants/km2 (EU 116/ km2). Västra Götaland is in many respects the “second region” in Sweden but holds a strong position as the leading manufacturing and trade region. Göteborg is the largest municipality, the second city in Sweden, and the centre of a travel-to-work area with approx. 800’ inhabitants. The other main city centres are Trollhättan, Borås and Skövde, leading municipalities in Fyrbodal, Sjuhärad and Skaraborg.

The GRP of Västra Götaland and Sweden was 12% above the EU average in the mid-1980s, now both are in line with the EU average. The majority of the 720’ jobs in VG are found in the service sector foremost in healthcare, education and public administration followed by an important manufacturing industry. The region has a wide range of large quality firms across several industries such as the automobile sector, pharmaceuticals, electronics/information technology, food processing, and the petrochemical industry. Traditional regional manufacturing industries include trade, textiles, forestry/pulp and furniture manufacture.

Unemployment rates have been quite close to the national average in Sweden for the last decade. This has meant levels well over 10 % during the mid 1990s. In spring 2003 5-7 % of women and men are unemployed. At the same time there are problems recruiting in several professions. The availability of places in higher education institutes has almost doubled in the last 10 years to 45’. About 25% of the region’s population have some form of tertiary education. The range is 10 to 35 per cent within the region, indicating large differences in human capital between differentparts of the region.

Exclusion, especially of refugee immigrants, became one of the most challenging issues in the region during the 1990s. Another problem of increasing national and regional importance is life-pattern and work-life related illness and burn-out. Increasing crime-rate stresses the growing tensions in the social dimension. At the same time average life expectancy continues to increase for both women and men, infant mortality decreases, from low levels, compared with Europe.

The possibilities for a common labour market are not fully utilized. The intra-regional road and rail networks have weak links limiting opportunities for public transport and for companies within the region. With a labour market outside Göteborg that, in the long run, is thought of as the most “vulnerable” in Sweden, this is a critical issue. ICT infrastructure and application is good and further development is on it’s way, especially in the areas of distance learning and telemedicine.

The varied and very attractive natural and cultural environment is an asset for the region, both for the inhabitants and for attracting visitors. The same applies for the environmental sector in general. Overall emissions to air and water are declining. Decoupling is a long-time reality for SOx and NOx for instance. The emission of greenhouse gases is relatively low in VG; about 7.4 tonnes (2000) per inhabitant,which is 90% of the Swedish average, the second lowest in the EU. More than half of the Swedish “environmental” research capacity is placed in the region, the share of companies that are certified with different eco-label standards etc are high. Although the eco-systems in many cases could be in better shape, vital natural resources, such as water, are “abundant” in both quality and quantity. Wasterecycling is well-developed.

The negative environmental trends in the region relateprimarily to acidification of soils and water and biodiversity loss. The decline in fish stocks and in eco-systems of the sea is a serious problem, a consequence of both eutrophication and of extensive fishing.

Of the region’s 23,941 km2, forests take up 54%. Västra Götaland also provides 25% of Sweden’s agricultural land. The area of protected land rose in the 1990s, and is more extensive than in other parts of Sweden. More than 6.5% of the acreage in Västra Götaland is protected in different ways (as nature reserves, conservation areas, protected species areas, Natura 2000 etc).