Small towns in Västernorrland are losing large parts of their population

The magazine Hem och hyra has compiled statistics on 100 urban areas in Sweden where the population has decreased the most in the last fifty years. Of the hundred localities, twelve are in Västernorrland.

The place in the county where the population has decreased the most is Mjällom in Kramfors municipality. The town has lost 67 percent of its population, but other towns in Kramfors such as Klockestrand, Lunde and Bollstabruk also have a marked reduction. You can also see this reduction in localities belonging to the municipalities of Härnösand and Sollefteå. All places on the list have a reduction between 45-60 percent.

- It is a process that has been going on since the agricultural society was mechanized. Now there is less demand for jobs in smaller towns. The problem is that the region does not have a large city now that attracts the population and it will be a competition issue, says Lars Westin, professor of regional economics at Umeå University.

Since 1970, Sweden has increased its population by almost two million people. But it is to large and medium-sized cities that the population is concentrated. Many small towns have lost over half of their population.

The magazine has also mapped out what the community service looks like in these places. The distance to pharmacies, post offices, grocery stores and petrol stations has been measured. In that comparison, Utansjö and Ramvik are the worst in the county. The residents of Ramvik, for example, have 12.2 kilometers to the store and 16.7 km to the pharmacy and health center.

Lars Westin says the following about the future of the small towns:

- Some smaller towns that may not be close to the coast may find it more difficult if you do not build homes and continue to develop. It is important that there are resources that attract. Mjällom I think can be a summer resort, because people may want to use the coast there.