Living in Gävle
In Gävle, rents across existing tenancies average €10.11 per m² a month (2025) and unemployment is 14.9% (2024).
Monthly mean temperatures were −2.5°C in January and 17.3°C in July. Car density was 460.5 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2025.
Higher unemployment than 91% of Swedish cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 83% of Swedish cities that publish it and dirtier air than 69% of Swedish cities that publish it.
Which Sweden-wide rules apply when you move to Gävle?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in Gävle?
Average net cold rent is about 10.11 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 10.11 EUR/m²/month · api.scb.se1
Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Transport pass, Fitness club, Internet, 60 Mbps. The others are published prices.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 40.01 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 35.03 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 148.8 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 10.52 EUR | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 22.16 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Tele2 mobile plan23Official · national market |
| Monthly transport pass | 50.3 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 107.2 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 10.11 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €9.83 | 31 Dec 2025 | api.scb.se1Official |
Is Gävle a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 606 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 10.11 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
The unemployment rate was 14.9% at the end of 2024.
What is the unemployment rate in Gävle?
The unemployment rate is 14.9 % (2024). Source: SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–202416
Gävle 14.9%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| People in employment | 51,216 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)15Official |
| Employment rate | 79.9 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)16Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 3,298 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | api.scb.se2Official |
| Unemployment rate | 14.9 %country median 10.6% | 31 Dec 2024 | SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–202416Independent |
What does a salary buy in Gävle?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesTransportInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | €2,623 |
| Rent, 60 m²€10.11/m² · official · api.scb.se · 2025-12-31 | − €606 |
| Public transport pass€50 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €50 |
| Utilities, 85 m²€107 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €107 |
| Internet€35 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €35 |
| Mobile plan€22 · official · Tele2 mobile plan · 2026-09-30 | − €22 |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €1,802 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Gävle. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Arbetsförmedlingen — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Gävle. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacies | 11 count | 15 Sept 2026 | Sök apotek som har tillstånd14Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Gävle when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Gävle?
Police recorded 12,732 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 12,732 offences per 100,000 · Brå — reported offences by municipality, 20253
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 12,732 offences per 100,000country median 9,986 | 31 Dec 2025 | Brå — reported offences by municipality, 20253Official |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Gävle. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Municipal civic orientation for newly arrived residents — Civic Orientation
Swedish municipalities
For newly arrived residents with residence permits.
Swedish for immigrants (SFI) municipal adult education — State Language Course
Swedish municipalities under the national SFI framework
For persons over 16 eligible for SFI.
Climate and air quality
Monthly precipitation was 38.3 mm in January and 65.2 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 5.63 µg/m³ in 2024.
Is the air quality good in Gävle?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
- PM2.5 — annual mean: 5.63 µg/m³ · Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Gävle 5.6
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 15.66 µg/m³country median 4.0 | 2024 | Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4Official |
| NO₂ — latest reading | 7.04 µg/m³ | 15 Jul 2026 | Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4Official |
| PM10 — annual mean | 16.67 µg/m³country median 9.3 | 2024 | Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4Official |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 5.63 µg/m³country median 5.1 | 2024 | Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan -0.079 · Feb 0.595 · Mar 4.4 · Apr 9.86 · May 15.32 · Jun 19.58 · Jul 22.33 · Aug 21.05 · Sep 16.06 · Oct 9.39 · Nov 4.08 · Dec 1.14 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | SMHI Mean maximum temperature — Gävle, 1991-202010Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -5.65 · Feb -5.89 · Mar -3.44 · Apr 0.21 · May 4.65 · Jun 9.23 · Jul 12.04 · Aug 11.09 · Sep 7.22 · Oct 2.78 · Nov -0.565 · Dec -4 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | SMHI Mean minimum temperature — Gävle, 1991-202011Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -2.5 · Feb -2.41 · Mar 0.398 · Apr 4.84 · May 9.85 · Jun 14.3 · Jul 17.33 · Aug 16.14 · Sep 11.64 · Oct 6.16 · Nov 1.94 · Dec -1.09 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | SMHI Normal monthly temperature — Gävle, 1991-202013Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 38.29 · Feb 31.82 · Mar 29.22 · Apr 29.46 · May 43.51 · Jun 67.07 · Jul 65.24 · Aug 77.17 · Sep 49.94 · Oct 62.81 · Nov 54.73 · Dec 51.31 mm | 31 Dec 2020 | SMHI Normal monthly precipitation — Gävle, 1991-202012Official |
Population and city profile
The city covered 1,621.5 km² in 2024. Population density was 64.2 people per km² in 2025.
How many people live in Gävle?
The published population was 103,838 people in 2024. Source: SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.9
By nationality
National passport94.3%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 1,621 km² | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)17Official |
| Cars per 1,000 residents | 460.5 cars/1000 residents | 31 Dec 2025 | Official vehicles-in-use table: Fordonsslag=10 is passenger cars, stock at the last month of 2025; divided by official SCB population at 31 December 2025.6Official |
| City area | 1,621 km² | 1 Jan 2024 | SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.9Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 5.7 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)18Official |
| Foreign residents | 5,933 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Official number of foreign citizens at municipality grain, all ages and all sexes, reference 31 December 2025.5Official |
| Population density | 64.2 people/km² | 31 Dec 2025 | Official SCB population density per square kilometre at municipality grain. SCB states that it uses the population figure at 31 December with the following 1 January land-area figure.9Official |
| Female residents | 52,000 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)20Official |
| Male residents | 52,000 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)20Official |
| Population | 103,838 people | 31 Dec 2024 | SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.9Official |
International community in Gävle
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Registered population by municipality and country of birth; total sex · 2024
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| All birth countries | 103,838 | 100.0% |
| Sweden | 86,215 | 83.0% |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 2,513 | 2.4% |
| Iraq | 1,451 | 1.4% |
| Somalia | 1,272 | 1.2% |
| Finland | 1,160 | 1.1% |
| Eritrea | 841 | 0.8% |
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 696 | 0.7% |
| Afghanistan | 634 | 0.6% |
| Thailand | 606 | 0.6% |
Show 111 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | 586 | 0.6% |
| Poland | 343 | 0.3% |
| Norway | 272 | 0.3% |
| Ukraine | 260 | 0.3% |
| United Kingdom | 234 | 0.2% |
| Philippines | 229 | 0.2% |
| Germany | 226 | 0.2% |
| Ethiopia | 217 | 0.2% |
| Chile | 212 | 0.2% |
| India | 207 | 0.2% |
| Viet Nam | 204 | 0.2% |
| Russian Federation | 187 | 0.2% |
| Romania | 179 | 0.2% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 178 | 0.2% |
| El Salvador | 176 | 0.2% |
| Ireland | 166 | 0.2% |
| Sudan | 163 | 0.2% |
| Yugoslavia | 154 | 0.1% |
| other countries | 152 | 0.1% |
| China | 128 | 0.1% |
| Lebanon | 126 | 0.1% |
| United States of America | 126 | 0.1% |
| Moldova, Republic of | 125 | 0.1% |
| Pakistan | 117 | 0.1% |
| Palestinian territory, occupied | 109 | 0.1% |
| Colombia | 106 | 0.1% |
| Saudi Arabia | 104 | 0.1% |
| Spain | 100 | 0.1% |
| Korea, Republic of Korea | 98 | 0.1% |
| Nigeria | 96 | 0.1% |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 92 | 0.1% |
| Hungary | 89 | 0.1% |
| Morocco | 83 | 0.1% |
| Greece | 82 | 0.1% |
| Jordan | 82 | 0.1% |
| Sri Lanka | 79 | 0.1% |
| Bulgaria | 75 | 0.1% |
| Latvia | 74 | 0.1% |
| Bangladesh | 73 | 0.1% |
| Gambia | 72 | 0.1% |
| Kingdom of the Netherlands | 67 | 0.1% |
| Egypt | 63 | 0.1% |
| Denmark | 62 | 0.1% |
| Burundi | 61 | 0.1% |
| Lithuania | 60 | 0.1% |
| Brazil | 59 | 0.1% |
| Armenia | 57 | 0.1% |
| Serbia | 56 | 0.1% |
| Italy | 50 | 0.0% |
| Tunisia | 49 | 0.0% |
| Uganda | 49 | 0.0% |
| Peru | 47 | 0.0% |
| Canada | 44 | 0.0% |
| Albania | 43 | 0.0% |
| Algeria | 43 | 0.0% |
| Azerbaijan | 42 | 0.0% |
| Estonia | 40 | 0.0% |
| South Africa | 40 | 0.0% |
| Croatia | 39 | 0.0% |
| United Arab Emirates | 37 | 0.0% |
| Kenya | 37 | 0.0% |
| North Macedonia | 37 | 0.0% |
| France | 36 | 0.0% |
| Senegal | 35 | 0.0% |
| Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 34 | 0.0% |
| Australia | 33 | 0.0% |
| Portugal | 30 | 0.0% |
| Soviet Union | 30 | 0.0% |
| Mexico | 29 | 0.0% |
| Indonesia | 28 | 0.0% |
| Kuwait | 27 | 0.0% |
| Mongolia | 27 | 0.0% |
| Sierra Leone | 27 | 0.0% |
| Angola | 26 | 0.0% |
| Austria | 25 | 0.0% |
| Cuba | 25 | 0.0% |
| Yemen | 25 | 0.0% |
| Ghana | 23 | 0.0% |
| Rwanda | 22 | 0.0% |
| Kosovo | 21 | 0.0% |
| Ecuador | 20 | 0.0% |
| Czechoslovakia | 20 | 0.0% |
| Tanzania, United Republic of | 20 | 0.0% |
| Zambia | 20 | 0.0% |
| Belgium | 19 | 0.0% |
| Switzerland | 19 | 0.0% |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 19 | 0.0% |
| Myanmar | 19 | 0.0% |
| unknown country of birth | 19 | 0.0% |
| Japan | 18 | 0.0% |
| Tadzjikistan | 18 | 0.0% |
| Belarus | 17 | 0.0% |
| Israel | 17 | 0.0% |
| Georgia | 16 | 0.0% |
| Argentina | 15 | 0.0% |
| Bolivia | 15 | 0.0% |
| Nepal | 15 | 0.0% |
| Uzbekistan | 15 | 0.0% |
| Venezuela | 15 | 0.0% |
| Cameroon | 14 | 0.0% |
| Liberia | 14 | 0.0% |
| Nicaragua | 14 | 0.0% |
| Iceland | 13 | 0.0% |
| Kazakhstan | 13 | 0.0% |
| Malaysia | 13 | 0.0% |
| Taiwan | 13 | 0.0% |
| Djibouti | 12 | 0.0% |
| Congo, the Republic of the | 11 | 0.0% |
| Cyprus | 11 | 0.0% |
| Dominican Republic | 10 | 0.0% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 10 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source22
Citizenship
Registered population by municipality and citizenship; total sex · 2024
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| total | 103,838 | 100.0% |
| Swedish | 98,304 | 94.7% |
| Rest of the world incl. Stateless and unknown | 3,183 | 3.1% |
| European citizenship except Swedish | 2,351 | 2.3% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source21
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households | 50,993 households | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)19Official |
Alternatives for people set on Gävle
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Sundsvall as a Gävle alternative in the same country
Better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Unemployment: 11.1% Sundsvall vs 14.9% Gävle−26%
- Nearest airport: 16.8 km Sundsvall vs 93.2 km Gävle−82%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 9,650 Sundsvall vs 12,732 Gävle−24%
- Foreign residents: 4.2% Sundsvall vs 5.7% Gävle−27%
- Annual PM2.5: 5.2 µg/m³ Sundsvall vs 5.6 µg/m³ Gävle−7%
- Median gross pay, region: €3,235 Sundsvall vs €3,298 Gävlesame level
- Rent: €10.02/m² Sundsvall vs €10.11/m² Gävlesame level
Alternative cities in Sweden
Other cities in Sweden to compare with Gävle, nearest in population first.
How does Gävle compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Gävle's.
Gävle in rankings
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 16, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: förberedelseklass (reception class) + språkförskola (special language preschool). How to enrol a child (skolverket.se).
A country-wide rule for Sweden; Gävle's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Gävle?
The published population was 103,838 people in 2024. Source: SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year..
How much does it cost to rent in Gävle?
Average net cold rent is about 10.11 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 707 EUR a month before utilities. Source: api.scb.se.
Is the air quality good in Gävle?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate..
How safe is Gävle?
Police recorded 12,732 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Brå — reported offences by municipality, 2025.
What is the unemployment rate in Gävle?
The unemployment rate is 14.9 % (2024). Source: SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–2024.
What is the typical salary around Gävle?
The median gross salary is 3,298 EUR/month. Source: api.scb.se.
Is Gävle a good place to live?
Gävle may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
How many people born in All birth countries live in Gävle?
The official country of birth distribution records 103,838 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2024. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Gävle, Sweden: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 13e1473224df4fca45eec83c49e0b7a6]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/se/gavle/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_gavle-sweden-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_b718f9ef5229,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Gävle, Sweden: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {13e1473224df4fca45eec83c49e0b7a6},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/se/gavle/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Gävle, Sweden: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/se/gavle/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 13e1473224df4fca45eec83c49e0b7a6; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- api.scb.se api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-27
- api.scb.se api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-27
- Brå — reported offences by municipality, 2025 Brå · bra.se · checked 2026-07-26
- Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate. datavardluft.smhi.se · checked 2026-07-15
- Official number of foreign citizens at municipality grain, all ages and all sexes, reference 31 December 2025. api.scb.se · checked 2025-12-31
- Official vehicles-in-use table: Fordonsslag=10 is passenger cars, stock at the last month of 2025; divided by official SCB population at 31 December 2025. api.scb.se · checked 2025-12-31
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year. api.scb.se · checked 2026-07-14
- SMHI Mean maximum temperature — Gävle, 1991-2020 SMHI Mean maximum temperature · smhi.se · checked 2026-07-26
Show 14 more sources
- SMHI Mean minimum temperature — Gävle, 1991-2020 SMHI Mean minimum temperature · smhi.se · checked 2026-07-26
- SMHI Normal monthly precipitation — Gävle, 1991-2020 SMHI Normal monthly precipitation · smhi.se · checked 2026-07-26
- SMHI Normal monthly temperature — Gävle, 1991-2020 SMHI Normal monthly temperature · smhi.se · checked 2026-07-26
- Sök apotek som har tillstånd lakemedelsverket.se · checked 2026-09-15
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-30
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) country of birth distribution api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-28
- Tele2 mobile plan tele2.se · checked 2026-09-15
- Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.