Record number of passengers and commuters cross the Øresund

Travel across the Øresund reached record levels in the first half of 2026, with new highs recorded for both passenger and commuter journeys between Denmark and Sweden.

An average of 107,331 passenger journeys were made across the Øresund every day by car, train and ferry during the first six months of the year, according to new figures from Øresundsindex/Traffic Statistics.

That represents an increase of 3.5 percent compared with the same period in 2025. Train travel across the Øresund Bridge saw particularly strong growth, with passenger journeys increasing by 7.1 percent.

“The fact that more people than ever are travelling and commuting across the Øresund strengthens both the labour market and integration in the Øresund region,” said Linus Eriksson, CEO of the Øresund Bridge.

“The strong development in rail travel is particularly clear. It demonstrates the important role the railway plays in creating a connected and sustainable region.”

The number of commuter journeys across the Øresund also reached a new record. An average of 21,674 commuter journeys were made per day during the first half of 2026, an increase of 5.2 percent compared with the same period last year.

Commuting by car across the bridge recorded the largest increase at 6.4 percent, followed by train journeys at 4.9 percent and ferry journeys at 3.9 percent.

The number of passenger cars crossing the Øresund by bridge and ferry also continued to rise, although the rate of growth slowed. An average of 21,446 passenger cars crossed the Øresund per day during the first half of the year, up 1.4 percent from the same period in 2025.

Freight traffic also returned to growth during the first six months of 2026. An average of 3,552 freight movements by truck and train were recorded each day, representing an increase of 6.8 percent.

The Øresundslinjen ferries recorded the strongest growth in freight traffic, while the number of trucks crossing the Øresund Bridge exceeded the previous record from 2025 by seven percent. The number of freight train wagons crossing the bridge also increased following a prolonged downward trend.

Øresundsindex monitors developments in the Øresund region across nine areas, ranging from transport and the labour market to business and everyday cross-border integration.

The traffic figures are based on statistics from infrastructure and transport operators working across the Øresund. Data collection and analysis are carried out by the independent Danish-Swedish knowledge centre Øresundsinstituttet on behalf of the Øresund Bridge Consortium.