Nacka Municipality (called Nacka kommun in Swedish) is a special area, like a town or district, located in Stockholm County in central-eastern Sweden. Its main town and administrative center is Nacka. The municipality is just east of Stockholm, the capital city. The western parts of Nacka are like a suburb of Stockholm.

The Nacka Municipality we know today was formed in 1971. This happened when the City of Nacka (which became a city in 1949) joined with Saltsjöbaden and Boo. Saltsjöbaden had actually separated from the "old" Nacka in 1909.

Exploring Nacka's Geography
A Look at Nacka's History
- Nacka in the 20th Century
Exploring Nacka's Nature
Understanding Nacka's Population
Sports in Nacka
Interesting Places to Visit
Famous People from Nacka
Nacka's International Connections
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Nacka's Geography

Nacka Municipality is located across two historical areas of Sweden called landskap: Uppland and Södermanland. However, it is all part of one administrative area, Stockholm County.

The western part of Nacka Municipality is very built-up and feels like a continuous part of the city of Stockholm. About 50,000 people from the municipality live in this area.

Nacka also has other smaller towns and communities. Some of the larger ones include Boo, Fisksätra, Saltsjöbaden, Skuru, and Älta.

A Look at Nacka's History

People have lived in the Nacka area for a very long time. The first mountain tops appeared as islands after the last ice age, during a period called the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age). During the Viking Age (800 – 1100 AD), it's thought that about 100 people lived here. They made their living by farming and fishing.

A Danish sailing guide from the late 1200s described Nacka as an important travel area. Waterways were easier to use than land roads back then. These water routes were also the main way to get to the capital, Stockholm. Because of this, there were many restaurants along the shores to serve travelers. One article mentions 24 different places that offered services to busy travelers.

In the 1700s, the restaurants closer to Stockholm became fancier. Not only travelers, but also people from Stockholm came here for summer trips. Many artists of that time drew pictures and wrote songs about these fun excursions.

During winter, the waterways froze. Instead of traveling by sea, people would cross the many lakes using sleighs to reach Stockholm.

The name "Nacka" comes from an industrial business started in the 1500s at the Nacka farmstead. This spot was good for water mills. However, that area is not very populated today. The main administrative center of the municipality is on land that once belonged to the Järla farmstead, on the other side of Lake Järla.

One of the many battles during the Great Northern War happened in the eastern part of Nacka. In 1719, Russian forces attacked and burned parts of Sweden's eastern coast. Many cities were attacked, and almost all buildings in the Stockholm archipelago were burned. On their way to Stockholm, Swedish forces, even though they were greatly outnumbered, managed to fight off the attacking Russians at the battle of Stäket.

Nacka in the 20th Century

Nacka Municipality has seen its population grow steadily since the 1960s, almost doubling in size. Today, it is the third most populated municipality in Stockholm County, after Stockholm Municipality and Huddinge Municipality. It is the 20th most populated municipality in all of Sweden. Because many new homes are being built, the population is expected to grow by more than 3% each year until 2020.

In the 1970s, Nacka was part of a special experiment in psychiatry (the study and treatment of mental illness). A psychiatrist named Bengt Bengtsson started it. It allowed people in the area to get help with mental health issues locally, to prevent bigger problems. This idea was based on a system developed in the U.S. called Community Mental Health. This system has since been used in other municipalities too.

Most of the businesses in Nacka are service-related. Many people who live in Nacka travel to Stockholm City for work. There are not many large companies located in Nacka itself.

Exploring Nacka's Nature

Nacka has 12 nature reserves (as of 2015). It also has two large natural areas for recreation. These areas have different landscapes, including pine forests, swamps, and lakes. The biggest nature reserve is Nackareservatet, which covers about 730 hectares (about 1,800 acres).

Understanding Nacka's Population

How Nacka's Population Has Grown

Nacka is a municipality where the number of people living there has grown continuously for the past 65 years. By 2017, its population had passed 100,000 citizens.

Population development in Nacka Municipality 1970–2019
Year	Population
1970	48,035
1975	55,321
1980	57,229
1985	59,688
1990	64,056
1995	70,172
2000	74,974
2005	80,247
2010	90,108
2015	97,986
2017	101,231
2019	105,189

Education and Income in Nacka

Nacka Municipality has the 5th highest average income per person in Sweden. Also, a large number of its residents are highly educated. About 39.0% of people have a college degree that is three years or longer. This is the 10th highest percentage in the country.

Residents with Different Backgrounds

On December 31, 2017, about 25,681 people in Nacka had a foreign background. This means they were born outside Sweden or had two parents born outside Sweden. This was about 25.37% of the total population of 101,231 people. This number has increased over time. For example, in 2002, about 21.25% of the population had a foreign background.

On December 31, 2017, 19,717 people (19.48%) living in Nacka were born in a country other than Sweden. Many people came from other European Union countries, Asia, Finland, and South America.

Sports in Nacka

Nacka is home to several sports clubs. One of them is:

Järla IF FK

Interesting Places to Visit

Nackasändaren Radio Mast – This is a tall radio mast.
Nacka Church – This church was built in 1891.
Svindersvik – This is a historic summer estate that was built in 1740.

Famous People from Nacka

Many well-known people have connections to Nacka. Here are a few:

Thomas Bodström – A lawyer, writer, and former politician who was once the Minister for Justice in Sweden.
Karin Dreijer – A singer, songwriter, and music producer.
Olof Dreijer – A DJ and music producer.
Nicolao Dumitru – A professional football (soccer) player.
Christer Gardell – A person who invests in new businesses.
Nicklas Grossmann – A professional ice hockey player who played in the NHL.
Carola Häggkvist – A famous Swedish singer and songwriter.
Sebastian Ingrosso – A DJ and producer known for House music.
Cornelia Jakobs – A singer who represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022.
Jessica Landstrom – A professional football (soccer) player.
Ulf Lundell – A musician, songwriter, and author.
Annie Lööf – A politician and former leader of the Centre Party.
Markoolio – A recording artist, TV host, and actor.
Nova Miller – A recording artist, dancer, and actor.
Mona Sahlin – A politician and former leader of the Social Democratic Party.
Those Dancing Days – An Indie pop band.