Kolada – Swedish Municipal and Regional Database

Summary

Kolada is Sweden's national database for municipal and regional performance indicators, maintained by the Council for the Promotion of Municipal Analyses (RKA), an organisation established by the Swedish government and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR). The database provides extensive comparative data on municipal finances, service costs, operational performance, quality and citizen satisfaction. Users can explore indicators across municipalities, compare trends over time and download data for further analysis. For year-round active mobility and winter maintenance, Kolada includes indicators related to winter maintenance expenditure for cycling infrastructure and roads, as well as residents' satisfaction with snow clearance services. The database offers opportunities to examine differences between municipalities, investigate relationships between maintenance spending and perceived service quality, and support evidence-based planning and decision-making. Kolada is particularly valuable as an example of a nationwide municipal benchmarking system. However, differences in reporting practices, local conditions and data availability should be considered when interpreting comparisons.