The Nordic populations

Image: Iceland, by Jonny Auh

The Nordic region stands out in the international perspective when it comes to socioeconomic factors such as health, education, income, and other fundamental living conditions.

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A news media market can be described as a function of the audience it serves, and therefore, population characteristics such as size and age structures, education and income levels, degree of urbanisation and ethnicity patterns, are of fundamental importance for the structure, supply, and reach of a news media market. This applies both at national and local levels.

In the following, we describe and compare the Nordic populations based on several demographic and socioeconomic parameters that all have a bearing on the dynamics of the domestic news media markets in the region. The section also maps differences in population structures that can be linked less to the nation and more to the cross-border gaps between urban and rural populations, which has become increasingly relevant in both Europe and the rest of the Western world during the twenty-first century. Lastly, the digital maturity (access to digital devices, digital skills, and Internet activity) of Nordic citizens is examined. The data used has mainly been taken from the Nordic countries’ official statistics (via Nordic Statistics and Eurostat) and from international comparative indices.

Demographic development

The Nordic countries vary greatly in both geographical size and population. In 2024, 28.2 million people lived in the Nordic region, with just under 40 per cent, or 10.6 million, living in Sweden. Denmark, Finland, and Norway are about half the size of Sweden, with populations between 5.5 and 6.0 million each. Iceland, with its approximately 380,000 inhabitants, is significantly smaller than the four other Nordic countries.

Population development and age structure

The population in the Nordic region grew by just over 800,000 individuals between 2019 and 2024, or a total of 2.4 per cent (see Table 3.1). However, the growth was unevenly distributed between the countries. While Iceland’s population grew by 9.8 per cent during these five years, growth stopped at just 1.6 per cent in Finland. In Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the population grew by between 2.7 and 4.2 per cent.

TABLE 3.1 Population size and age structure, 2024

	Population size		Age of population, 2024 (%)
Country	2019	2024	< 20 years old	> 64 years old
Denmark	5,806,000	5,961,200	22	21
Finland	5,517,900	5,603,900	20	23
Iceland	349,400	383,700	25	16
Norway	5,328,200	5,550,200	22	19
Sweden	10,230,200	10,551,700	23	21

Comments: In the EU-27 member states, on average 22 per cent of the population was under 20 years of age in 2024 and 20 per cent was over 64 years of age.
Source: Nordic Statistics (2024c)

These patterns also persist if the time span is extended by another five years. From 2014 to 2024, Iceland had by far the quickest population growth in the Nordic countries, and Finland the slowest.

Iceland also had the comparatively youngest population in the Nordics in 2024, with Finland having the comparatively oldest population. Denmark, Norway, and Sweden rank between Iceland and Finland in this respect and are thus also close to the EU average.

In all Nordic countries, the long-term trend is that the proportion of people under 20 years of age is slowly decreasing, while the proportion over 64 years of age is increasing. The same pattern is also seen within the EU.

Population density and degree of urbanisation

In terms of population density (see Table 3.2), Denmark stands out with 139 people per square kilometre in 2024, significantly more than the rest of the Nordic countries and also more than the EU average. With the exception of Denmark, the Nordic countries are more sparsely populated than the EU as a whole.

TABLE 3.2 Population density and degree of urbanisation, 2024

		Share of population (%)
Country	Residents/km²	Larger cities	Smaller cities/outer areas	Rural
Denmark	139	35	32	33
Finland	18	41	32	26
Iceland	4	64	17	19
Norway	15	33	40	27
Sweden	25	37	36	27
EU	106	40	35	25

Source: Nordic Statistics (2024d)

While Denmark has the highest population density in the Nordics, it also has the highest proportion of the population (33%) living in rural areas. Approximately the same number of Danes live in larger cities and in smaller towns and outlying areas. In Finland, a comparatively higher proportion live in larger cities, while Norway and Sweden have a comparatively higher proportion of residents in smaller towns and outlying areas. The degree of urbanisation in Finland, Norway, and Sweden is thus similar to that in the EU. Compared with the situation in the larger Nordic countries, the Icelandic population is very highly concentrated in the cities, and above all in the capital Reykjavík, which comprises around two thirds of Iceland’s population.

Ethnicity and immigration

A final demographic parameter with relatively large variation between the Nordic countries regards where Nordic residents and their parents were born (see Table 3.3). Based on data from 2024, Finland has the highest proportion of residents – 86 per cent – who were native-born with two native-born parents. This can be compared with Sweden, where the corresponding proportion was only 64 per cent, which is significantly lower than the EU average (78%). Denmark, Norway, and Iceland are closer to the EU levels.

Table 3.3 Migration status of the population 15–74 years old, 2024 (per cent)

Country	Native-born with both parents native-born	Native-born with one parent born abroad (second generation)	Native-born with both parents born abroad (second generation)	Foreign-born (first generation)
Denmark	81	5	3	11
Finland	86	2	1	11
Island	79	3	1	17
Norway	71	5	2	22
Sweden	64	7	4	25
EU	78	4	3	15

Source: Eurostat (2024c)

Finland and Denmark had the lowest proportion of foreign-born residents

(11%) in 2024, while Sweden had the highest (25%). Sweden thus has the most heterogeneous population in terms of migration patterns in the Nordics.

Socioeconomic development

Socioeconomic status is a concept used to describe an individual’s or group’s position in society, often based on factors such as income, education, and occupation. These factors are also of great importance in analyses of media and their audiences. Both access to and use of media varies between groups with different economic resources and levels of education. This is not least true when it comes to the reach of news journalism. Digitalisation and the more personalised media offerings have further reinforced these patterns.

Human Development Index and Gender Inequality Index

The Nordic region stands out in the international perspective when it comes to socioeconomic factors such as health, education, income, and other fundamental living conditions. In the international Human Development Index survey conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which indexes development in the area of welfare based on several parameters, the five Nordic countries are in the top tier globally. In the most recent compilation from 2023, Iceland and Norway were in first and second place in the world. Denmark and Sweden took fourth and fifth places and Finland was twelfth (see Table 3.4).

Table 3.4 Human Development Index, 2023

Rank	Country	Value
1	Iceland	0.972
2	Norway	0.970
2	Switzerland	0.970
4	Denmark	0.962
5	Germany	0.959
5	Sweden	0.959
...	...	...
12	Finland	0.948

Comments: The Human Development Index is a composite index that measures human development based on three dimensions: a long and healthy life, knowledge, and standard of living. A high value indicates a high level of human development.
Source: Human Development Index 2023 (UNDP, 2023b).

The Nordic countries also stand out in terms of gender equality from an international perspective. In the most recent measurement of the UNDP’s Gender Inequality Index, which measures and compares gender equality around the world, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden were at the top globally, with Finland and Iceland in places 6 and 7 (see Table 3.5).

TABLE 3.5 Gender Inequality Index, 2023

Rank	Country	Value
1	Denmark	0.003
2	Norway	0.004
3	Sweden	0.007
4	Switzerland	0.010
5	Netherlands	0.013
6	Finland	0.021
7	Iceland	0.024

Comments: The Gender Inequality Index is a weighted index that measures inequality between the sexes based on three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and labour market. A low value indicates low inequality between women and men.
Source: Gender Inequality Index 2023 (UNDP, 2023a)

Education levels

One of the key demographic factors that characterises the Nordic region from an international perspective is the generally high level of education among Nordic residents, though there are differences between the countries (see Table 3.6). When it comes to the proportion of the population aged 20–69 with some form of post-secondary education, Norway and Sweden were at the top with 46 per cent in 2024, which can be compared with the EU average of 33 per cent. In Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, the proportions were 39–41 per cent.

Table 3.6 Proportion of the population aged 20–69 with higher education, 2014 and 2024 (per cent)

Country	2014	2024	±
Denmark	31	40	+9
Finland	37	39	+2
Iceland	32	41	+9
Norway	39	46	+7
Sweden	35	46	+11
EU	26	33	+7

Comments: Higher education refers to tertiary, or post-secondary, education (ISCED levels 5–8).
Source: Nordic Statistics (2024a; original source Eurostat)

Although the proportion of residents with higher education has increased in all Nordic countries over the past decade, the highest growth has been in Sweden (+11 percentage points between 2014 and 2023). Finland had the lowest growth (+2), while in Denmark, Iceland, and Norway, growth was on par with or just above the EU average (+7).

Unemployment

Levels of unemployment also differ among the Nordic countries (see Figure 3.1). In 2024, unemployment among those aged 20–64 was lowest in Iceland and Norway. Denmark followed and was roughly in line with the EU average (5.7%). The highest unemployment rates in the Nordics, and also slightly above the EU average, were in Finland and Sweden.

Figure 3.1 Share of unemployment in the population aged 20–64, 2019–2024 (per cent)

Comments: Unemployment statistics refer to the number of unemployed individuals on an annual basis divided by the number of individuals in the labour force aged 20–64.
Source: Nordic Statistics (2024f)

There is no clear pattern of unemployment levels over time. In all Nordic countries,

unemployment increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic’s outbreak in early 2020, only to quickly decrease again between 2021 and 2022. Since then, unemployment levels in the Nordic countries have risen, with the exception of Iceland. As a whole, the Nordic region thus deviates from the development within the EU, where unemployment has fallen continuously since 2021.

Income levels

As previously reported, the Nordic region is among the relatively richest regions in the world. The macroeconomic prosperity is also reflected in income structures at the household level. In Eurostat’s 2024 annual survey of the average net income of households in European countries (see Figure 3.2), Norway and Denmark were ranked third and fourth, respectively, beaten only by Switzerland and Luxembourg. Norway’s average annual income was almost twice as high as the EU average (21,582 euros). Finland and Sweden were also in the top eleven. Iceland has not been included in Eurostat’s statistics since 2020, but that year, Iceland was in fourth place in Europe, ahead of all the Nordic countries except Norway.

Figure 3.2 European countries with the highest average household income, 2024 (EUR)

Comments: The figure shows the average median equalised net income after tax at household level, which accounts for the size and composition of households. The figure shows the twelve European countries with the highest average median equalised net income in 2024 according to Eurostat statistics. The statistics cover the 27 EU member states as well as Norway, Switzerland, Serbia, and Turkey.
Source: Eurostat (2025c)

In 2015, Norway was at the top of the European income statistics, while Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland took fourth to seventh places. The development over the past decade therefore indicates that the Nordic countries, and perhaps especially Sweden, have fallen back somewhat compared with the rest of Europe in terms of average household income levels.

The income statistics from the Nordic countries reflect, in both relative and absolute terms, the macroeconomic patterns reported earlier, which show that Norway is at the top of the world in terms of economic prosperity, with Denmark and Iceland following close behind. Finland and Sweden are, by comparison, a bit further down the list, but are still above both the EU and OECD average. These patterns are similar to those of ten years ago.

Economic equality

In social analyses of income structures in a country or region, it is also important to consider how evenly or unevenly income levels are distributed within the population. Large inequalities in income levels are associated with higher levels of poverty and social exclusion as well as with lower levels of perceived wellbeing and happiness. They have also been linked in research to increased social dissatisfaction and political polarisation.

The Gini coefficient, a standardised measure of income distribution in a population, makes it possible to compare the situation in different countries. A low value means low dispersion and a high value means greater dispersion. Based on Gini statistics from Eurostat, all four large Nordic countries were below the EU average in 2024 (see Figure 3.3). Norway had the lowest income dispersion in the Nordics in 2024 (fourth place in Europe), while it was highest in Denmark. Iceland has not been included in Eurostat’s Gini calculations since 2020; however, that year, Iceland had the lowest Gini coefficient of all five Nordic countries and the third lowest in Europe.

FIGURE 3.3 European countries with the lowest income disparities, 2024 (Gini)

Comments: The figure shows the Gini coefficient, which is a measure of inequality in income distribution within a population. It can vary between 0 and 100, where 0 represents perfect equality (everyone has the same income) and 100 represents perfect inequality (one person has all the income). The figure shows the 14 European countries with the lowest Gini coefficient in 2024 according to Eurostat. Eurostat’s statistics cover the 27 EU member states as well as Norway, Switzerland, Serbia, and Turkey.
Source: Eurostat (2025a)

Due to changes in the methodology for Gini calculations, it is difficult to make

reliable comparisons over time between countries. However, the overall impression from the Eurostat longitudinal datasets is that income inequality appears to have increased somewhat in the four large Nordic countries over the past decade.

A study conducted by the Nordic research centre Nordregio on the development of Nordic household income between 2005 and 2022 provides further support that income inequality has increased in the Nordics during the 2000s. In terms of household financial resources, the Nordic region is less equal today than it was twenty years ago.

Urban–rural divides

The Nordic region’s more than 28 million inhabitants are spread out, from the urban metropolises of Copenhagen and Stockholm with populations of millions to sparsely populated areas, especially in the northernmost parts of Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Living conditions, in terms of access to public services, education systems, jobs, cultural offerings, and communications vary greatly between different parts of the Nordic region.

In a series of studies, Nordregio has investigated how these geographical variations are related to differences in sociodemographic patterns at the population level in the Nordic countries. The studies have been conducted against the backdrop of the urban–rural divides that have become increasingly evident in many places in both Europe and the rest of the Western world, and which have served as a breeding ground for increased political dissatisfaction and reduced trust in institutions, resulting in what has been referred to as “geographies of discontent”. These circumstances can also be assumed to have an impact on both the supply of news media and the composition, needs, and resources of local news media audiences.

Nordregio’s surveys show that there are systematic differences in demographic, social, and economic conditions between urban and rural areas within and across the Nordic borders. And in most cases, it is the urban areas that benefit.

The spread of basic infrastructure for fixed and mobile broadband is comparatively very good in the Nordic countries compared with the rest of Europe.

Demographic divisions

For all Nordic countries, urban environments generally have younger and more well-educated populations with a comparatively more balanced gender distribution. In contrast, many rural areas in the region are characterised by ageing populations (due to the migration of young people to the cities), a more skewed gender distribution (more men than women, due to the migration of more women), and lower participation in national elections. This population loss and demographic changes make public service provision to rural areas challenging and has led to lessening or even closures of services in rural areas.

Urban areas in the Nordic region are characterised by a higher proportion of foreign-born people, which makes them more culturally heterogeneous. This is not least the case in certain suburban areas in Sweden’s three largest cities, Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö, where the proportion of foreign-born people is high. Together with younger and more highly educated people, often holding more liberal values, moving from rural to urban areas, the higher foreign-born population also contributes to a higher diversity of value systems. These positive developments for urban areas, however, make services provision to rural areas increasingly challenging, again contributing to “geographies of discontent”.

Economic separation

Urban areas in the Nordic region generally have higher incomes, though they are characterised by higher income differences (economic inequality). This can be compared with rural areas, where average incomes, while lower, are more equally distributed, contributing to social cohesion within rural areas despite the disparity with urban areas.

An exception to these overall patterns is Norway, which has lower income differences between urban and rural areas. Moreover, unlike the other Nordic countries, these differences have decreased – not increased – over time. Similarly, Norway is characterised by a higher proportion of highly educated people in rural areas compared with the rest of the Nordic region.

Digital maturity

As reported above, the spread of basic infrastructure for fixed and mobile broadband is comparatively very good in the Nordic countries compared with the rest of Europe. The Nordics also stand out in a positive way in terms of the digital maturity of their citizens. This is evident from Eurostat statistics on the European population’s access to digital devices, digital skills, and Internet habits.

Access to digital devices in households

In Eurostat’s 2023 statistics on European residents’ access to various types of digital devices with Internet connection, the Nordic countries are generally well above the EU average (see Table 3.7). This is particularly true of Norway, which is higher than Denmark, Finland, and Sweden in terms of access to smartphones (98% of households), as well as laptops (77%) and tablets (46%).

TABLE 3.7 Share of households with access to devices with Internet connection, 2018 and 2023 (per cent)

Country	2018	2023	2018	2023	2018	2023	2018	2023
Country	Smartphone		Laptop		Tablet		Desktop
Denmark	87	93	71	70	54	43	35	30
Finland	81	92	70	72	44	37	39	34
Norway	92	98	80	77	56	46	34	31
Sweden	86	94	65	69	47	38	40	32
EU	72	86	50	54	32	30	41	31

Comments: The table shows the proportion of the population, aged 16–74, who have used the Internet on different types of digital devices at least once in the past year. The results come from the annual EU survey, carried out by the European Commission, on the use of ICT (information and communication technology) in households and by individuals. Iceland was not included in the survey.
Source: Eurostat (2024a)

When it comes to access to desktops, however, the Nordic countries are more closely aligned with the EU average (31% in 2023). The proportion of households with fixed desktop computers has decreased since 2018 in both the Nordic region and Europe, which is evidence of a technology that has become increasingly less popular. Access to tablets has also decreased significantly in recent years in the Nordic region. The results from Eurostat’s survey thus underline that since 2018, the smartphone has consolidated its position as the primary channel for accessing the Internet in the Nordic countries.

Iceland has not been included in Eurostat’s statistics on connected devices in households since 2021. The outcome was then at the same high level as Norway, which portends a comparatively very good access to digital devices also thereafter.

Digital skills

Eurostat’s media statistics also include more qualitative indicators of digital maturity. These include questions concerning the digital competences and skills of European citizens, such as information and data literacy skills, communication and collaboration skills, and safety skills in a digital environment. In the 2023 survey, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden were generally above the EU average in all three areas, although Sweden was in all cases slightly behind the other three (see Table 3.8).

TABLE 3.8 Share of population with digital skills, 2023 (per cent)

Country	Media and information literacy	Communication and collaboration skills	Security skills
Denmark	90	96	61
Finland	94	92	75
Norway	96	96	70
Sweden	86	88	49
EU	69	81	45

Comments: The table shows the proportion of the population aged 16–74 who possess more than basic skills in media and information literacy, communication and collaboration, and safety in a digital environment. The results come from the annual EU survey, carried out by the European Commission, on the use of ICT (information and communication technology) in households and by individuals. Iceland was not included in the survey.
Source: Eurostat (2024b)

Data from 2021 places Iceland at the same level as Norway in all three areas of competence and thus significantly above the average for Europe as a whole.

Activities on the Internet

A final area covered by the Eurostat media statistics is the Internet habits of European citizens: participation in social networks (i.e., posting or sharing content on social media), searching for information about goods and services, and reading news.

The above pattern is also repeated in this area. In the 2024 survey, the Nordic populations were significantly above the EU average (see Table 3.9). In all three aspects of digital skills, usage has generally increased in the population as a whole compared with 2019. Norway was the highest in all three cases, while Sweden was generally somewhat lower than the rest of the Nordic countries. In this case, too, the latest data for Iceland is from 2021. In line with the patterns above, Iceland was also found to be at a very high level that year in terms of the population’s Internet habits.

TABLE 3.9 Share of population that uses the Internet, 2019 and 2024 (per cent)

Country	2019	2024	2019	2024	2019	2024
Country	Participate in social networks		Search for information about goods and services		Reading news
Denmark	81	90	85	94	82	87
Finland	67	79	87	89	81	88
Norway	86	91	90	95	91	93
Sweden	72	73	83	89	79	80
EU	54	65	66	75	62	65

Comments: The table shows the proportion of the population, aged 16–74, who stated that they had done one of the following on the Internet at some point in the last year: participated in social networks, searched for information about goods and services, read news. The results come from the annual EU survey, carried out by the European Commission, on the use of ICT (information and communication technology) in households and by individuals. Iceland was not included in the survey.
Source: Eurostat (2025b)

Summary

The purpose of this section has been to make a comparative description of the Nordic countries with respect to a number of central demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, urban–rural divides, and digital maturity among citizens. The data has been mainly taken from the Nordic countries’ official statistics (via Nordic Statistics and Eurostat) and from international comparative indices.

The section has shown that the Nordic populations in an international comparison are characterised by high prosperity, small income differences, high levels of education, low gender inequality, and strong digital maturity. At the same time, there are clear variations between the countries in terms of population composition, urbanisation, migration patterns, socioeconomic resources, and digital skills.

Denmark stands out due to its high population density and high proportion of people living in rural areas – in contrast to the rest of the Nordic region. It is also the most equal country according to the UN Gender Equality Index and has among the highest household incomes in Europe. At the same time, Denmark has the highest income inequality in the Nordic region and, together with Finland, the most homogeneous population in terms of migration patterns. Digital skills and equipment in households are well developed, and Internet use is high in all respects.

Finland has the oldest and most homogeneous population in the Nordic region in terms of origin. It also has had the lowest population growth and the smallest increase in the proportion of highly educated people in the last decade. At the same time, Finland stands out with very high digital skills and a high degree of urbanisation. Income levels are slightly lower than in the rest of the Nordic countries, and unemployment is the highest in the region.

Iceland is demographically and geographically an oddity in the Nordic region: the smallest population, the lowest population density, the highest proportion of young people, and the fastest growing population. The majority of the population lives in the capital region, which gives Iceland an extremely urbanised population structure. Iceland also has the highest proportion of foreign-born people in the Nordic countries outside of Sweden, as well as the lowest unemployment rate. The country tops the UN Human Development Index but is missing from several EU statistical series from recent years, which limits direct comparisons with the other Nordic countries.

Norway generally has the best socioeconomic conditions for its population in the Nordics: highest household income, lowest income disparities, and very low unemployment. The population is relatively homogeneous but with a growing proportion of foreign-born people. Norway also has the highest level of digital devices in households, the best digital skills, and the highest proportion of Internet users for reading news. A special feature is that the socio-economic differences between urban and rural are smaller than in the rest of the Nordic countries, both in terms of education and income.

Sweden stands out as the most heterogeneous country in the Nordic region, with the lowest proportion of native-born people with two native-born parents and the highest proportion of foreign-born people. At the same time, the country has had the largest increase in the proportion of highly educated people over the past decade. Despite this, Sweden has comparatively high unemployment, the lowest average household income, and ranks behind therest of the Nordic countries in terms of digital competence in the population.