Graphic Arts Industry Enterprises in Sweden

The graphic arts industry includes graphic arts print, often also termed commercial print (although including publication and specialty print in this overview), as well as newspaper print, prepress and postpress companies. Since 2012 the number of printing establishments in Europe shows a steady decline—the effect of ongoing consolidation in the industry.

Also in Sweden, the number of establishments declined on average by 4% annually from 2012 to 2022, noticeably above the average decline rate in Europe. Numbers declined strongly after changes in tax credits, which were initially booked as profits by printing companies, led to high repayments to customers. From 2018 onwards, the numbers remained more stable, only to slip again in 2022.

The recent pressure on print costs and volumes will lead to higher rates of shutdowns in the next few years, however. Also, rising operating costs will take their toll on companies that are not prepared to handle the cost and interest rate increases, leading to more consolidation. Accordingly, the forecast expects the decline to continue at a similar rate. Consolidation will take its toll, with a further average decline of 4.9% per year. Overall, the number of graphic arts establishments is likely to drop from close to 1,300 in 2012, to 570 by 2030.

Source: digitalprintexpert.de / 2024

As in all countries, the majority of companies in the graphic arts industry in Sweden are small. About 85% have less than 10 employees (even after adjusting for dormant or non-productive companies), noticeably more than the European average. Only 4.5% of all enterprises have more than 50 employees, which is more than the European average, however.

There are other important print producers that are, statistically speaking, not part of the graphic arts industry. Those are folding carton, flexible packaging, corrugated, and label printing, plus photocopy services and in-house printing. This adds another 714 print enterprises in 2022—almost as many as the number of Graphic Arts companies in Sweden.

Further Industry Data

This article is part of a bi-weekly series of pieces looking at print industry data in 24 European countries. The next article will feature Switzerland. A European overview can be found here.

A breakout of all segments by country and timelines for the number of establishments, revenue, and employment in the graphic arts industry and other print segments can be found in the 2024 European Print Industry Sizing report. The report also features the number of companies by size class and country. The report can be purchased from the WhatTheyThink store.

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