--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-39/competition-market-power-and-productivity-growth-in-scandinavia/" title: "Competition, Market Power, and Productivity Growth in Scandinavia" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T07:53:17+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:53:17+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Fall 2020" ipm_keyword: - "2001-2014" - "competition" - "Denmark" - "Finland" - "KTH" - "mark-ups" - "market power" - "Norway" - "productivity" - "Scandinavia" - "Sweden" ipm_research_theme: - "Policy and institutions" ipm_country_focus: - "Denmark" - "Finland" - "International" - "Norway" - "Scandinavia" - "Sweden" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # Competition, Market Power, and Productivity Growth in Scandinavia Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-39/competition-market-power-and-productivity-growth-in-scandinavia/ # Competition, Market Power, and Productivity Growth in Scandinavia [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-39-4-Lind.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Lind, Hans. 2020. “Competition, Market Power, and Productivity Growth in Scandinavia.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 39 (Fall 2020): 53–73. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-39/competition-market-power-and-productivity-growth-in-scandinavia/ ## Author: - Hans Lind Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm ## IPM Issue 39 Fall 2020 pp. 53–73 ## Related IPM articles [The Relationship between Efficiencies Defenses for Mergers and TFP Growth Robin Shaban Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 82–102](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/the-relationship-between-efficiencies-defenses-for-mergers-and-tfp-growth/) [Adult Skills and Productivity: New Evidence from PIAAC 2023 Dan Andrews, Balázs Égert, Christine de La Maisonneuve Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 41–63](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/adult-skills-and-productivity-new-evidence-from-piaac-2023/) [The Potential Impact of Pro-competitive Regulatory Reforms on Productivity and Growth in Canada Gilbert Cette, Jimmy Lopez, Giuseppe Nicoletti, Océane Vernerey Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 3–40](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/the-potential-impact-of-pro-competitive-regulatory-reforms-on-productivity-and-growth-in-canada/) [Appendix: UK Productivity Growth Rates Across Data Vintages and Studies Josh Martin Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 65–73](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/appendix-uk-productivity-growth-rates-across-data-vintages-and-studies/) [Opportunities and Risks of Artificial Intelligence for Productivity Francesco Filippucci, Peter Gal, Katharina Laengle, Matthias Schief, Filiz Unsal Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 1–26](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/opportunities-and-risks-of-artificial-intelligence-for-productivity/) [Using Ecosystem Accounting to Integrate the Environment in Measures of Multifactor Productivity Carl Obst Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 87–108](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/using-ecosystem-accounting-to-integrate-the-environment-in-measures-of-multifactor-productivity/) [Eroding Natural Capital: An Alternative Explanation for the Secular Decline in Productivity Growth Christina Caron Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 109–147](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/eroding-natural-capital-an-alternative-explanation-for-the-secular-decline-in-productivity-growth/) [How Does Industrial Policy Impact Output, Hours and Productivity? The Canadian Experience Tim Sargent Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 39–53](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/how-does-industrial-policy-impact-output-hours-and-productivity-the-canadian-experience/) [Climate Change and Productivity — An Exploration Dirk Pilat Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 54–86](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/climate-change-and-productivity-an-exploration/) [Could Domestic Industrial Policies, Even With Global Fragmentation, Revive Productivity? Catherine Mann Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 3–19](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/could-domestic-industrial-policies-even-with-global-fragmentation-revive-productivity/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This article examines the relationship between competition, market power, and productivity growth in four Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark) over 2001-2014. It finds that industries with higher mark-ups and lower competitive pressure experienced slower productivity growth, and that the Scandinavian countries — despite their reputation for strong institutional quality — have seen rising market power in several service sectors. The article discusses implications for competition policy and how to reconcile high mark-ups with relatively high productivity levels in these economies. Cet article examine la relation entre la concurrence, le pouvoir de marché et la croissance de la productivité dans quatre pays scandinaves (Norvège, Suède, Finlande, Danemark) sur la période 2001-2014. Il constate que les industries affichant des marges plus élevées et une pression concurrentielle plus faible ont connu une croissance de la productivité plus lente, et que les pays scandinaves — malgré leur réputation de forte qualité institutionnelle — ont connu une hausse du pouvoir de marché dans plusieurs secteurs de services. L’article examine les implications pour la politique de la concurrence et la façon de concilier des marges élevées avec des niveaux de productivité relativement élevés dans ces économies. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-39-4-Lind.pdf)