Popular Scandinavian TV crime dramas may help conjure up images of Sweden as a place with mysterious killers on the loose, but the truth is far from that. Indeed Stockholm was just ranked the safest city in Europe.

The rankings, compiled by the Economist’s Intelligence Unit, don’t only cover crime as we traditionally know it, but also other safety factors such as digital security (cybersecurity, identity theft), health security (average life expectancy), infrastructure (quality of roads, natural disasters). As well as being top spot in Europe, Stockholm was ranked the fourth safest city globally.

The factors taken into account are vital for international corporations when deciding where to locate their businesses. “Safety is closely linked to wealth and economic development,” the report said.

Technology is now on the frontline of urban safety, with data being used to tackle crime, monitor infrastructure and limit the spread of disease, the report said.

The Swedish capital was ranked seventh for digital security and 10th for health security. It is the only non-Asian city to rank in the top five for personal safety. Of the 50 cities studied, Tokyo was considered safest, followed by Singapore and Osaka.

In a separate report, international lifestyle magazine Monocle recently listed Stockholm as the world’s fourth best city to live in, based on factors such as healthcare, the business environment and the number of sunlight hours.

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This article was sponsored by Stockholm Business Region.

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