Digital Sweden: How Consumers Are Setting the Pace and Creating Opportunities for Businesses

Economic growth from digital activity has accelerated quickly, and the Internet contributes SEK 275 billion in value, or 7.7% of GDP. This growth has been driven by the Swedish consumer, whose eager adoption of new mobile devices has triggered a recent wave of online consumption across all major categories of private spending. Companies that are able to leverage digital tools to meet this demand achieve growth rates twice as high as their less-digitalized peers in the same industry. Sweden remains a leader in BCG's e-Intensity Index, bolstered by strong consumer engagement, but indicators for government and business engagement have weakened since 2009 relative to international peers.