Using AI and satellite data, the Husqvarna Group has investigated how green the world's cities are for the sixth year in a row, by measuring the surface area during the greenest day of the year (which is different in different parts of the world).
Although the trend is slow, green spaces in cities are giving way to new buildings and infrastructure.
In the 516 cities surveyed, a total of 95 million square meters of greenery, equivalent to 13,000 football fields, was lost. More than half of that was lost in 18 Chinese megacities such as Wuhan and Dongguan.
"The pace of change is a little more radical both on the outskirts and in the cities. We rarely see that kind of transformation in Europe," says Erik Swan.
Uppsala in the top
Vegetation can help limit the effects of heavy rain, provide much-needed shade, and promote biodiversity and improve the well-being of residents.
This year, Husqvarna has taken a closer look at 40 cities in the Nordic region, with Danish Vejle ranked as the greenest according to the company's index. Uppsala and Linköping are next. Of the Swedish cities, only Malmö is not lagging behind when it comes to green space.
Gothenburg is experiencing the greatest change of all cities, where 384,000 square meters of greenery have disappeared.
"It's grayer," says Swan.
Lost since 2020
It is primarily a forest area that has been built up in Torslanda that is causing the change, which is 0.2 percent of the total. But it is part of a longer trend where Gothenburg has lost 2 percentage points of green space since 2020.
Erik Swan hopes that the report is used as a receipt for the decisions made locally, and that greenery can be seen as a resource.
This will be like a bank statement for the green; seeing what we have withdrawn, what we have deposited and how much we have left in the account.
Gustav Sjöholm/TT
Sweden's greenest cities
TT
1. Uppsala, 56 percent greenery (74 in index number*)
2. Linkoping, 55 (73)
3. Orebro, 51 (70)
4. Vasteras, 49 (68)
5. Norrkoping, 46 (65)
6. Lund, 49 (60)
7. Gothenburg, 48 (59)
8. Helsingborg, 43 (59)
9. Stockholm, 46 (56)
10. Malmo, 36 (43)
* In addition to the total amount of greenery, the index is calculated based on how greenery is distributed in the city and its vitality.
Source: HUGSI (Husqvarna urban green space insights) 2025
