Indicators for Inequality in the Nordic Countries – 2024 Update

Abstract

Purpose: The report Indicators for Health Inequality in the Nordic Countries was written at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and published by the Nordic Welfare Centre in 2019. It recommended seven indicators for social inequalities in health, including the Gini coefficient, as important to alleviate social health disparities. This article updates the findings from the report and describes developments over time. Methodology: The indicator sources that were used in 2019 were searched for updates, and data were downloaded. When the exact indicators were unavailable, we contacted the data owners to ask for updates. Findings: The majority of data were available from the original data sources with the same definitions. Two indicators had to be redefined, and we chose to use the “new” definitions to retrieve the older data points again. With one exception, there do not seem to have been any momentous changes over time, either within the countries or between the countries, and the socioeconomic gradients remain clear in all the countries. Conclusion: The proportion of everyday smokers decreased for almost all groups in all countries, while the patterns for other indicators were less clear. Nevertheless, monitoring social inequalities in health is important for policy reasons.

Affiliated Institutions

• Norges Bank
• Norwegian Directorate of Health

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