Copenhagen-Malmö
Presentation
Malmö and Copenhagen form a cross-border conurbation, separated by the Øresund strait. The strategic character of this cooperation forms part of a process of territorial and economic development led by these two cities, which share common traits despite the maritime border. Copenhagen is at once the capital of Denmark and the capital of the County of Copenhagen. The Copenhagen metropolitan area has a population of 1.8 million.
Malmö is a city in the south of Sweden and is the capital of the County of Skåne (Scania). This territory corresponds to the historic province of Skåne, which formed part of the Kingdom of Denmark until 1658 when it was ceded to the Kingdom of Sweden. Skåne is home to around 1.2 million inhabitants, with a population density of 105.7 inhabitants/km², the highest in Sweden. The municipality of Malmö is the largest in the county, with 270,000 inhabitants. For historical and geographical reasons, Malmö is the the most cosmopolitan city in Sweden, with first- and second-generation immigrants making up one third of the population.
According to OECD figures, the urban areas around Copenhagen and Malmö respectively attract 150,000 and 50,000 working commuters per day.
Cross-border flows are in constant growth. However, these flows are limited to certain categories of employees and are still small in proportion to the regional potential. Nevertheless, since 2000, the number of Danish citizens having settled in Skåne has multiplied by four. In 2007 around 19,400 people were crossing the bridge daily to go to work in Denmark.
