The Nordic countries

Image: Senja, Norway, by Tor Guttormsen

Just as free and independent media are a prerequisite for a well-functioning representative democracy, a well-functioning democratic system is a prerequisite for a free and independent media system.

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The Nordic region consists of five countries: the constitutional monarchies of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and the republics of Finland and Iceland. Denmark includes the partially self-governing regions of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, while Åland is a self-governing part of Finland. The Faroe Islands and Greenland have their own languages, while the official language of Åland is Swedish, which, along with Finnish, is one of two national languages in Finland. Denmark, Finland, and Sweden are members of the EU; however, only Finland has the euro as its currency.

The following is a broad comparative characterisation of the Nordic countries in four areas: democracy and freedom of the press; economic development; political development; and digital infrastructure. Together, these contribute to the framework conditions for the news media systems in the Nordic countries.

Democracy and freedom of the press

Media and democracy have a close, reciprocal relationship: Just as free and independent media are a prerequisite for a well-functioning representative democracy, a well-functioning democratic system is a prerequisite for a free and independent media system. It is therefore no coincidence that countries ranking high in democratic development also tend to rank high in terms of the functioning of the media system – and vice versa.

In political science, there are several statistical indices that assess and compare the democratic position and development in different countries based on quantitative parameters. What these indices have in common is that the Nordic countries generally rank among the top internationally.

The Liberal Democracy Index

The V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute at the University of Gothenburg annually compiles various democracy indices that map the state of democracy in countries around the world, based on several empirical indicators. The Liberal Democracy Index assesses whether political elections are free and fair, but it also includes the degree of freedom of expression and civil liberties.

In 2024, the Liberal Democracy Index was topped by seven European countries (see Table 2.1). Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were in the top five, with Denmark coming in first. Finland and Iceland, ranking 12 and 21, weren’t far behind in the total of 178 countries included in the comparison.

Table 2.1 V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index, 2024 (global ranking)

Rank	Country	Points
1	Denmark	0.88
2	Estonia	0.85
3	Switzerland	0.85
4	Sweden	0.84
5	Norway	0.84
…	…	…
12	Finland	0.80
…	…	…
21	Iceland	0.76

Comments: The Liberal Democracy Index measures the democratic standing of a country based on 71 indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 1. The 2024 index included 178 countries.
Source: Democracy Report 2025 (Nord et al., 2025: 62)

Over the past decade, democratic development has regressed in many countries. According to the Liberal Democracy Index, there was a statistically significant change in a negative, more autocratic direction in 46 countries between 2014 and 2024. This includes not least the US, but also EU member states Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, and Greece.

For the five Nordic countries, only minor changes were noted between 2014 and 2024, none of which is large enough to be statistically significant. According to the V-Dem Institute, the functioning of democracy in the Nordic countries was therefore at approximately the same level in 2024 as it was ten years earlier. This also means that the differences that existed between the Nordic countries in 2014 according to the V-Dem Institute’s method of measurement also remained in 2024.

The World Press Freedom Index

As mentioned, freedom of expression is included as one of several indicators in the Liberal Democracy Index. However, there are also international surveys that are specifically dedicated to studying media freedom around the world. This includes the World Press Freedom Index, conducted every year by the international organisation Reporters Without Borders.

Here, too, the Nordic countries rank at the top (see Table 2.2). In 2025, according to the World Press Freedom Index, Norway had the most extensive press freedom in the world. Sweden, Finland, and Denmark were in the top six, though Iceland fell a bit behind with a ranking of 17.

Table 2.2 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, 2025 (global ranking)

Rank	Country	Points
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
4	Sweden	88.13
5	Finland	87.18
6	Denmark	86.93
…	…	…
17	Iceland	81.36

Comments: The World Press Freedom Index measures press freedom for journalists and media outlets based on a wide range of quantitative and qualitative parameters. The index ranges from 0 to 100. A score above 85 is considered “good”. The 2025 index included 180 countries and territories.
Source: World Press Freedom Index 2025 (Reporters Without Borders, 2025)

Compared with the situation in 2019, only a few minor changes are noticeable for the Nordic countries, especially Finland and Iceland, which fell four and three places, respectively, on the list between 2019 and 2025. In both years, the list was topped by Norway.

Corresponding to the V-Dem Institute’s conclusions regarding the development of democracy at a global level, Reporters Without Borders also notes the overall trend of press freedom becoming increasingly restricted around the world. The background can be traced to both political restrictions (including hatred and threats against journalists) and deteriorating economic conditions for news journalism (including pressure from owners and advertisers).

The economic conditions of the media is also the most important explanation for why Iceland is ranked a bit behind the rest of the Nordic countries: Iceland is a significantly smaller market, which has an impact on the conditions for conducting independent journalism financed on a commercial basis. Media companies with solid finances are generally better placed to withstand external pressures than companies in a vulnerable financial situation.

Economic development

With the exception of the wholly publicly funded public service media, news media companies in the Nordic region operate on commercial terms. This means that basic market economy mechanisms also have an impact on the size and development of the news media sector in the Nordic countries.

An economically well-developed home market generally has a positive impact on access to capital and qualified labour, on investments in research and development, and on the purchasing power of consumers. This also applies to the news media sector. Economic conditions can also be assumed to have an impact on the competitive situation in a market, to the extent that favourable market conditions tend to attract more players and thus result in increased competition. In small markets, or where the economic conditions are less favourable, the market space is naturally smaller, as well as the number of players.

This also means that economic cycles – that is, temporary ups or downs in the economic situation in society – can have a major impact on the news media sector and its players. This is particularly true for media companies that are wholly or mostly financed through advertising revenue. There is a strong connection between economic changes and willingness to invest in the advertising market.

These patterns also apply at the larger macroeconomic level. In economically more developed countries, the overall conditions for conducting commercial media activities are generally more favourable than in economically less developed countries. This is especially true in today’s highly developed and complex society, which requires large public investments in digital infrastructures, such as broadband and mobile networks, as well as in research and development and education. Countries with strong public finances are also better placed to influence the living conditions in the media market through economic means, either directly in the form of media support, or indirectly in the form of lower VAT (value-added tax) rates on media products.

Gross domestic product (GDP)

The total economic activity in a country during a year can be estimated using a measure called gross domestic product (GDP), which is often used to describe a country’s economic size and growth.

Sweden, by virtue of its size, is the Nordic country with the highest total GDP (see Figure 2.1). According to the World Bank, Sweden had the twenty-fourth largest economy in the world in 2024, and the eighth largest in the EU. Norway’s GDP in 2024 amounted to 86 per cent of Sweden’s. For Denmark and Finland, the shares were 68 and 43 per cent, respectively, and for Iceland only 3 per cent.

Figure 2.1 Gross domestic product (GDP), 2014–2024 (billion euros, fixed values)

Comments: The figure shows the inflation-adjusted GDP (2010 values).
Source: Nordic Statistics (2024b)

All five Nordic countries had a larger economy in 2024 than ten years earlier, even when inflation was considered. The economies of the Nordic countries have thus been characterised by growth over the past decade, though with varying rates. While Iceland’s GDP increased by 40 per cent between 2014 and 2024, growth in Finland was limited to 9 per cent. Denmark had the second highest growth (28%), followed by Sweden (19%) and Norway (16%).

Purchasing power parity (PPP)

The differences in the economic size of the Nordic countries, as expressed in GDP, are largely explained by the differences in population size. When it comes to changes in GDP over time, variations in a country’s population growth can also be of great importance. To be able to compare economic prosperity between countries, it is also necessary to consider differences in price levels. When the varying population sizes and price levels in the Nordic countries are considered, other patterns emerge (see Figure 2.2). The list is then topped with a wide margin by Norway, which in 2024 was in third place within the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) in terms of GDP per capita adjusted using purchasing power parity (PPP). Norway was beaten only by Luxembourg and Ireland and followed by Denmark (7th), Iceland (8th), Sweden (13th), and Finland (15th). Finland’s GDP per capita (PPP) in 2024 amounted to 63 per cent of Norway’s and was thus just above the average for both the EU and the OECD.

Although all five Nordic countries are among the top performers in terms of economic prosperity globally, the development in terms of GDP per capita (PPP) has been mixed in recent years. Between 2019 and 2024, the overall growth was highest in Norway (+42%), followed by Iceland (27%), Denmark (+22%), and Finland and Sweden (both +18%). Denmark, Finland, and Sweden thus fell below the OECD average (+24%) during this period.

Figure 2.2 GDP per capita (PPP), OECD, 2024 (USD)

Comments: PPP (purchasing power parity) is a method for comparing the value of different countries’ currencies. The OECD is a cooperative organisation that includes 38 industrialised countries with democracies and market economies, including the five Nordic countries. The figure shows the top-list within the OECD with regard to GDP per capita adjusted using purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2024 in US dollars.
Source: World Bank Group (2024b)

Consumer price index (CPI)

A final economic indicator with potentially great importance for market development concerns the general price development in society. Rapidly increasing price levels (i.e., inflation) can have an eroding impact on both the finances of companies and the purchasing power of households.

In the Nordic region, the period immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in 2020 was characterised by a moderate increase in the consumer price index (CPI), which is the average price level for the goods and services that consumers buy in a country (see Figure 2.3). As a result, not least due to the government support measures made by the Nordic governments during the pandemic years, inflation rose sharply in 2021 and 2022, only to fall again in 2023 and 2024.

Figure 2.3 Consumer Price Index (CPI) annual growth, 2019–2024 (per cent)

Comments: The CPI measures the average development of consumer prices for private domestic consumption and is a common measure for assessing a country’s inflation.
Source: Nordic Statistics (2024e)

Although these overall patterns are common to the entire Nordic region, there are also differences in levels between the countries. The overall inflation rate since 2019 has been clearly highest in Iceland and lowest in Denmark.

Political development

During the twenty-first century, political developments in the Western world have been characterised by growing polarisation, a strong rise of populist movements, and an increasing questioning of democratic institutions. At the same time, the effects of globalisation – both economic and cultural – have provoked backlash in the form of nationalism and protectionism. Technological developments, especially the digitalisation of public discourse, have changed both the conditions for political participation and the dissemination of information. Climate issues and sustainability have become central lines of conflict, especially among younger voters, while traditional balances of power and party structures are increasingly challenged. Together, these patterns are shaping a new and more complex political map in Western democracies. This is also true in the Nordics.

Voting in national elections

Like other parts of Europe, the Nordic countries have seen changes in their political landscape over the past few decades. Although the general trend in Europe is that participation in general elections has declined since the mid-1980s, an analysis of voter turnout in the Nordic countries does not provide a clear picture. According to a 2025 report published by Nordic research centre Nordregio that mapped participation in Nordic national elections in the Nordic countries since the 1940s, neither Denmark, Norway, nor Sweden can see any clear trend in voter turnout over the past few decades. In Finland, voter turnout was relatively stable throughout the 2000s, after a continuous decline in the closing decades of the twentieth century. Iceland is therefore the only Nordic country where voter turnout has shown a consistent downward trend since the 1980s. However, the share of voters in the most recent national election in Iceland (80.1%) was on par with that in Norway (80.0%) and higher than in Finland (68.5%). The highest voter turnout in the last national election was in Sweden and Denmark (both 84.2%).

Voting for populist parties

One of the clearest expressions of increased political dissatisfaction among the populations of the Western world is the emergence of populist parties that have come to challenge the established party structures. In all five Nordic parliaments, there are currently parties that can be categorised as populist, but according to Nordregio, no clear trend can be seen in this area either. Of the four large Nordic countries (Iceland is not included in Nordregio’s analysis), only Sweden has seen a consistent increase in the share of votes for populist parties since 2010, from 5.7 per cent in the 2010 election to 20.5 per cent in the 2022 election (this concerns the Sweden Democrats). In Finland and Norway, there was a clear increase only in connection with the most recent election, while voting for populist parties has declined in Denmark.

As the media landscape has become increasingly digital, factors such as digital infrastructure, digital skills, and the use of technology in society at large have become increasingly important.

Digital infrastructure

To understand the dynamics of today’s media systems, it is natural to also consider digital developments. As the media landscape has become increasingly digital, factors such as digital infrastructure, digital skills, and the use of technology in society at large have become increasingly important.

In Europe, the European Commission carries out annual mappings of the digital transformation within the Union. Until 2022, the results were summarised in an index – DESI (Digital Economy and Society Index) – which ranked EU countries in terms of overall digital maturity. This includes digital infrastructure, the digitalisation of businesses, the digital skills of the population, and the digitalisation of public services. In 2022, the DESI was topped by Finland and Denmark, with Sweden in fourth place (after the Netherlands). The Nordic countries were thus in the lead when it comes to digital transformation within the EU.

These overall patterns have also remained in recent years’ measurements, even though the European Commission has chosen to no longer compile comparative indices. But there are also variations within the Nordic region, which is reflected in developments regarding fixed broadband and mobile Internet.

Fixed broadband

Access to reliable and fast Internet is a basic requirement for being able to take advantage of today’s digital media offerings, as well as for the opportunities to function as a modern citizen in general. The expansion of broadband and mobile Internet infrastructures is also a central part of the EU’s action plan on digital transformation. However, the differences in population size and land area between European countries mean that the national conditions for achieving full coverage for broadband and mobile Internet look very different. This is not least true in the Nordics.

In 2024, 98 per cent of EU citizens had access to fixed broadband in some form (see Table 2.3). In Denmark, Iceland, and Norway, access was near total, though Sweden, and especially Finland, were below the EU average; this was mainly due to a comparatively poorer expansion of fixed broadband in rural areas.

Table 2.3 Share of households with access to fixed broadband, 2024 (per cent)

	Denmark	Finland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	EU
Fixed broadband	99.4	84.1	99.3	99.9	94.2	97.9
Fixed broadband (rural)	99.0	70.0	87.9	99.5	75.8	93.1
Fixed VHCN*	96.8	81.7	95.3	95.4	89.7	82.5
Fixed VHCN (rural)	92.0	50.0	82.7	81.4	69.5	61.9

Comments: Data comes from a population-representative survey conducted on behalf of the European Commission in 2024 among European households. *VHCN = Very High Capacity Network.
Source: Broadband Coverage in Europe 2024 (European Commission, 2025a)

When it comes to access to higher-performance broadband (in the EU, the term VHCN, or Very High Capacity Network, is used), the differences between the Nordic countries and the EU are greater. In 2024, access to such fast broadband amounted to over 95 per cent in Denmark, Iceland, and Norway, and 90 per cent in Sweden. Here, too, Finland deviates from the other Nordic countries and is more in line with the EU’s average of 83 per cent.

Mobile Internet

The comparatively low level of access to fixed broadband in Finnish households is not due to technological lag. Finland was an early adopter of mobile networks, which has given mobile broadband a relatively stronger position among the Finnish population compared with fixed broadband. Compared with Sweden, for example, Finland has also invested less public funds in the expansion of fixed broadband in rural areas, in order to allow the expansion to be driven more by demand.

Finland was also an early adopter of 5G, the latest generation of mobile networks. This particularly applied to frequencies in the so-called 3.5 GHz band, which is the frequency band that has the best potential to offer 5G transmissions with high capacity and range. The first Finnish licences for 5G in the 3.5 GHz band were auctioned in 2018, two years before Denmark and Norway and three years before Sweden.

In 2024, almost all households had access to 5G in Finland, of which the majority were via the 3.5 GHz band (see Table 2.4). This was more than in any other Nordic country and significantly above the EU average of 68 per cent. In Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, access to 5G was also almost total in 2024, though the proportions of access via the 3.5 GHz band were lower. Iceland, with the lowest access to 5G in the Nordics, does not yet have expanded 5G operations in the 3.5 GHz band due to its limited market size.

Table 2.4 Share of households with access to 5G, 2024 (per cent)

	Denmark	Finland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	EU
5G	100.0	99.5	80.3	99.1	98.6	94.3
5G (rural)	100.0	97.1	7.4	96.0	90.3	79.6
5G in 3,5 GHz*	87.5	91.9	0.0	66.5	74.0	67.8
5G in 3,5 GHz (rural)	27.8	58.8	0.0	16.0	10.2	26.2

Comments: Data comes from a population-representative survey conducted on behalf of the European Commission in 2024 among European households. *The 3.5 GHz band is a frequency band with particularly good conditions for 5G transmissions.
Source: Broadband Coverage in Europe 2024 (European Commission, 2025a)

Summary

The purpose of this section has been to make a comparative characterisation of the Nordic countries in four central areas: democracy and press freedom; economic development; political development; and digital infrastructure. Together, these areas contribute to the framework conditions for the Nordic national news media systems. The data has been mainly taken from Nordic public statistics (via Nordic Statistics and Eurostat) and from international comparative indices.

This section has shown that the Nordic region has strong common features in terms of democratic governance, press freedom, economic prosperity, and digital infrastructure. In international comparisons, the Nordic countries are repeatedly ranked among the best in the world in terms of both the functioning of democracy and the degree of media freedom. Economically, the region is characterised by high economic prosperity and significant investments in digitalisation, even though the total economic size and rate of development differ between the countries. But there are also national characteristics:

Denmark stands out by having the most comprehensive broadband access in the Nordic countries, both in urban and rural areas, and is one of the leading EU countries in digital infrastructure. The country has also had relatively strong economic growth over the past decade, combined with the lowest inflation in the region.

Finland clearly differs from the other Nordic countries in its low access to fixed broadband, especially in rural areas. Instead, mobile networks and 5G have been expanded early and to a high extent. Finland has also had weaker economic growth compared to neighbouring countries, and lower purchasing power among the population. At the same time, Finland is one of the most digitally mature countries in Europe.

Iceland clearly differs from the other Nordic countries in its low access to fixed broadband, especially in rural areas. Instead, mobile networks and 5G have been expanded early and to a high extent. Finland has also had weaker economic growth compared to neighbouring countries, and lower purchasing power among the population. At the same time, Finland is one of the most digitally mature countries in Europe.

Norway is at the top globally in terms of press freedom and has seen strong growth in GDP per capita in recent years. Norway is also the wealthiest country in the Nordic region in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) and third in the OECD. The country has very high broadband coverage and, like Denmark, has almost total access to both fixed broadband and mobile Internet, even in rural areas.

Sweden is the largest country in the Nordic region in terms of GDP and population but has had relatively moderate economic growth over the past decade. Sweden stands out through consistently growing support for populist parties over the past fifteen years, which distinguishes the country from the rest of the Nordic region. At the same time, Sweden remains one of the highest-ranked democracies globally, with a strong digital infrastructure and high press freedom.