tätorter

Tätorter (singular tätort; plural tätorter) is a statistical term used in Sweden to describe a densely built-up urban area. By definition, a tätort is a continuous built-up area with at least 200 inhabitants and where the distance between neighboring buildings does not exceed 200 meters. If two built-up areas are closer than 200 meters, they are considered part of the same tätort; conversely, gaps larger than 200 meters break the continuity and create separate tätorter.

The concept is not an administrative unit. It is a statistical construct used by Statistics Sweden (SCB) to measure urbanization, population distribution, and the spatial structure of residential areas. Boundaries are defined from built environment data, and tätorter can span municipal borders. Each year SCB publishes the count and population of tätorter, providing a basis for planning, infrastructure, and service provision.

Tätorter typically cover cities, towns, and their suburbs, ranging from small localities to large metropolitan cores. The designation emphasizes density and contiguity of housing rather than political boundaries. The number of tätorter and their populations reflect trends in urban growth, suburbanization, and regional development. In contexts outside Sweden, similar concepts exist under different names; in Finland the corresponding term is taajama, referring to comparable urban areas described in Finnish statistics.

See also: urban area, population density, regional planning.