småorterna

Småorter are a Swedish statistical category used by Statistics Sweden (SCB) to describe smaller urban settlements. A småort is defined as a populated locality that has between 50 and 199 inhabitants and is not part of a tätort, the official term for an urban area in Sweden. These localities are distinguished by a built-up area where the dwellings are relatively closely spaced, but the population and built-up extent do not meet the criteria for a tätort, which requires at least 200 inhabitants and a continuous built-up area.

Småorter are located within municipalities and typically serve surrounding rural areas, often offering limited services. Because småorter are not administrative units, they do not have a local government of their own; governance is provided by the municipality. SCB uses småorter in demographic statistics and regional analyses to describe the distribution of small settlements and to study issues related to rural development, service provision, and accessibility.

The boundaries of a småort are defined by SCB and can change over time as population and the built-up area evolve. A settlement may change category: it can become a tätort if it grows to 200 inhabitants or more and meets the contiguity criterion; conversely, a tätort that declines could lose its status. The concept remains part of official statistics to help portray the structure of urbanization and rural settlement in Sweden.