Denmark unhealthiest country in the Nordics

Danes scored particularly badly for alcohol consumption

Lucie Rychla

Denmark is the least healthy place to live in the Nordic region, according to an extensive study published this week in the medical journal The Lancet.

The study assessed the living conditions of 188 countries over the past 25 years, using 33 health-related Sustainable Development Goal indicators such as poverty, water quality, education, disease, mortality rates, violence, road injuries and pollution.

Overall, Denmark ranked at number 16 with a total score of 79 out of 100.

Iceland, Singapore and Sweden topped the ranking, with scores of 85, while Finland and Norway placed 6th and 11th respectively.

READ MORE: Danish youngsters still drinking too much

Denmark’s overall results were affected by low scores in categories concerning alcohol consumption (39 out of 100), obesity (51), suicide (55) and HIV (56).

On the other hand, the country achieved top scores in areas such as water quality, sanitation, air pollution, disaster and war.

The median score for the entire study was 59.3 and the lowest indexes were measured in the Central African Republic (20.4), Somalia (21.6) and South Sudan (22.5).

TOP STORIES

  • A country famous for lots of rain, Denmark craves for tears from the sky

    A country famous for lots of rain, Denmark craves for tears from the sky

    Two years ago, Denmark had a very dry Spring. This year, Farmers are reliving the trauma of 2023. While tourists and sun-starved Danes enjoy the sunny weather, farmers are nervously scouting for rain

  • “Ready to spend even more than 4% of the GPD” says Minister of Defense

    “Ready to spend even more than 4% of the GPD” says Minister of Defense

    At the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2025, Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen stated that Denmark is willing to spend more on defense. During a conference, he said the country is ready to surpass the original target set by the European Union

  • ReDI school wins Danish Diversity Award for empowering marginalized women in tech

    ReDI school wins Danish Diversity Award for empowering marginalized women in tech

    A non-profit tech school in Denmark is recognized for helping migrant women secure jobs aligned with their qualifications through digital training and networking.

  • Danish bravery in the Nanjing Massacre

    Danish bravery in the Nanjing Massacre

    Bernhard Sindberg was a Dane who saved thousands of Chinese during the Nanjing Massacre, one of the darkest episodes of the 20th century. He is often compared to Oskar Schindler. A book has told his story, and a statue in Aarhus commemorates him—yet few people know about his remarkable actions. The Copenhagen Post spoke with Sindberg’s niece, who still remembers her uncle well, to shed light on this seldom-told and incredible story

  • More Danes are uncomfortable with English replacing Danish in daily life

    More Danes are uncomfortable with English replacing Danish in daily life

    A survey from NORSTAT, commissioned by Sune Steffen Hansen and published exclusively by The Copenhagen Post, shows that around 40% of the population is uncomfortable with English replacing Danish in their daily lives. While this is not a problem for the younger generation, half of the people in older generations have an issue with it

  • Be a green tourist – get free access to Copenhagen’s attractions

    Be a green tourist – get free access to Copenhagen’s attractions

    CopenPay is back. Last year’s attempt to get guests to take a sustainable approach when visiting Copenhagen’s attractions will be back in 2025, on an even bigger scale. 90 attractions are participating across Copenhagen and running throughout the summer

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs