In its Package Index, the Swedish Transport Association notes that 2025 was a record year for e-commerce in Sweden. Overall, the number of packages increased by just under 13 percent compared with the previous year, while cross-border and secondhand sales reached new highs.
According to Paketindex, 228 million e-commerce packages were shipped to Swedish consumers in 2025. Overall, package volumes from foreign e-retailers have more than doubled in four years, representing an increase of over 30 million packages. This is despite growing criticism of low-price giants such as Shein and Temu. During the year, 22 million secondhand packages were shipped, which is more than three times as many as in 2023.
– We’re seeing two parallel trends that are increasingly shaping e-commerce. One is rapidly growing cross-border e-commerce, and the other is a strong surge in secondhand sales. This development is changing the playing field for both Swedish companies and logistics chains,” says Jonas Hagelqvist, CEO of Transportföretagen.
Growth was particularly strong during the last quarter of the year, when 72.2 million packages were shipped—a 17.5 percent increase compared with the same period the previous year. This is the highest quarterly growth rate ever recorded in the Package Index, and was largely driven by Black Week and Cyber Week. Nearly one in four packages originated outside Sweden, compared with one in five packages in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The sharp increase in e-commerce packages is putting growing pressure on the transportation sector to reduce its environmental impact. Demand is particularly high for fossil-free light-duty trucks, which play a central role in deliveries to consumers.
– As package volumes reach record levels, the electrification of light-duty trucks becomes absolutely crucial. If we are to reduce the climate impact of transportation, we need a faster transition and political measures, such as purchase incentives and an expanded charging infrastructure,” says Tina Thorsell, Director of Public Policy at Transportföretagen.
While volumes rose sharply, the return rate fell to the lowest level ever recorded in the Paketindex. In 2025, it stood at 8.2 percent, and in the fourth quarter, at 6.7 percent
