The Local launched in 2004 as an English-language digital news publisher aimed at expatriates, labour migrants and second-home owners in Europe, with Sweden as its first market. It is owned by The Local Europe AB, a Swedish company, and has grown to nine national editions covering Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Each edition shares a common design but runs its own editorial team focused on its own market, and revenue comes from advertising and membership subscriptions rather than a single proprietor or state subsidy. Today, The Local Sweden is mainly focused on Swedish news in English, covering national politics, immigration and residency rules, employment and tax, housing, language learning and practical guides to living in the country, alongside wire copy from AFP, from their headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. One interesting fact: the Swedish edition was named Digital Publisher of the Year in the Popular Press category by the Swedish Magazine Publishers Association in 2018, and the same body gave its Grand Prize to the company's chief executive James Savage in 2021.