The Nordic countries, referring here to Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, have often been viewed as a group of countries with many features in common, such as geographical location, history, culture, religion, language, and economic and political structures. It has also been habitual to refer to a ``Nordic model' ' of welfare states comprising a large public sector, active labour market policies, high costs for social welfare as well as high taxes, and a general commitment to social equality (1). Recent research suggests that much of this ``Nordicness'' appears to remain despite the fact that the Nordic countries have experienced quite different changes during the 1980s and 1990s (2). How this relates to changes in health inequalities is in the focus of this supplement.
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