tätorters

Tätorter is a Swedish statistical term used to describe urban areas or localities. The term is commonly translated as urban areas or localities in English and is applied by Statistics Sweden (SCB) for demographic and planning statistics. A tätort represents a contiguous built-up area where houses are located no more than 200 meters apart and which has at least 200 inhabitants.

The delimitation of tätorter is based on geographical and building-density data. If the built-up area contains gaps larger than 200 meters between buildings, it may be divided into separate tätorter. This method emphasizes the continuity of the built environment rather than administrative borders, providing a consistent basis for comparing urban settlements over time and across regions.

In addition to tätorter, SCB uses the category småorter to describe small localities with 50–199 inhabitants that meet similar proximity criteria. Areas with fewer than 50 inhabitants are generally not classified as a locality in the same statistical framework. Data for tätorter are updated regularly, typically on an annual basis, and cover the entire country, from large metropolitan centers such as Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö to smaller towns and suburban areas.

The concept of tätorter is central to Swedish demographic analysis and urban planning, offering a standardized way to measure urban population, housing, and infrastructure independent of administrative jurisdictions. It helps policymakers and researchers track urbanization patterns, housing demand, and the spatial distribution of services across Sweden.