Advertising in Sweden - statistics & facts

In 2022, Sweden made international news headlines when an eyebrow-raising ad campaign produced by the Swedish Food Federation won the Entertainment Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions Awards. The 18-minute mockumentary titled “Eat A Swede” featured actor Alexander Skarsgård and proposed eating human meat to combat climate change; an idea praised for its environmental focus and creative approach. Beyond launching some of the most talked-about ad campaigns of the recent past, the Swedish ad sector continues to follow a similar upward trajectory as most other Scandinavian countries. Recent reports on the Nordic advertising industry revealed that spending bounced back from a pandemic-related dip in 2020. In line with that, advertising spending in Sweden reached a record 46.4 billion Swedish kronor in 2021.

Traditional advertising has outlived its glory days

Traditional advertising no longer remains the gold standard in Sweden as fewer consumers turn to offline channels for news and information. The departure from analog advertising was set in motion over a decade ago, but even so, some formats stand firm in the face of (digital) adversity. For instance, radio and television advertising spending in Sweden reached some of their highest levels in the years leading up to the pandemic. Data also showed that companies across Scandinavia spent record sums on cinema and out-of-home (OOH) promotions just prior to 2020. Meanwhile, print media has experienced a continuous decline in advertising takings for over 10 years. Even though the dwindling appeal of newspapers and magazines as advertising destinations can be explained by the omnipresence of online news content, it does not necessarily reflect how consumers feel about the trustworthiness of print and other offline media. A recent survey on advertising perception among Swedish consumers showed that a majority of adults trusted ads in print newspapers and magazines. In contrast, most respondents considered online ads the most unreliable.

Digital innovation drives advertising success

Sweden is one of the most progressive digital trailblazers in Europe, and this passion for digital innovation also transcends into the world of advertising. Based on the latest data, online advertising spending in Sweden reached an all-time high of 5.86 billion Swedish kronor in 2021. This sum made up a lion's share of the industry’s total expenditures, and as consumer demand for online content keeps growing every year, spending on online ad campaigns will likely grow in tandem. Another trend that will keep the industry on its toes in the future is mobile advertising. Most Swedish online users browse the web via smartphones these days, and in order to reach these consumers and grab their attention, companies are making mobile ad campaigns their focal points. According to the most recent forecasts, mobile will draw more than half of all digital ad investments by the year 2025.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jan 10, 2024

Key insights

Advertising spending in Europe
144.57bn USD
Media advertising spending in Sweden
46.41bn SEK
Leading advertiser in Sweden
ICA
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Media advertising spending in Sweden from 2014 to 2022 (in billion SEK)

Advertising

Media advertising spending in Sweden 2014-2022

Television advertising expenditure in Sweden from 2011 to 2022 (in million SEK)

Traditional advertising

Television advertising expenditure in Sweden 2011-2022

Digital advertising spending in Europe from 2006 to 2022 (in billion euros)

Online Advertising

Digital advertising spending in Europe 2006-2022

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