Malmö is the third largest city in Sweden and the 6th largest in the Nordic countries. It is also the most populous city in Scania and is the economical and cultural centre of South Sweden. Malmö is also an important part of the transnational Øresund Region, which covers Denmark east of Great Belt (including Copenhagen) and Scania.

Since the construction of the Øresund Bridge, Malmö has undergone a major transformation with architectural developments, and it has attracted new biotech and IT companies, and particularly students through Malmö University, founded in 1998. The city contains many historic buildings and parks, and is also a commercial centre for the western part of Scania.