Norway is one of the strongest countries in Europe by military power. It currently operates 27 units of F-35 stealth aircrafts with more to come. The country is expected to have a fleet of 52 F-35s by 2025.
Currently, it's Finland without a doubt. Finland has around 4x more trained manpower than the rest of the Nordic countries combined. Its national defense is built on total defense doctrine, not on waiting for backup from NATO. Is Russia a threat for Nordic countries?
However, the are some internal differences: While Sweden has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) overall, Norway has the highest GDP per capita. All five Nordic countries are among the 20 countries in the world with the highest GDP per capita, showing just how economically successful the region is.
Gross domestic product
Norway is top of the Nordic ranking. GDP Per Capita (PPS Euro). 2021.
Royal Norwegian Navy, Norway has 6 submarines, 4 frigates and 6 light corvettes. Their combination of many submarines and frigates gives them the number one place. Norway also has a ton of patrol weasels with good capability to fight other ships and submarines. Royal Swedish Na.
Sweden. Sweden is famous for a lot of things. For many years it has ranked as one of the top countries of the world according to economic activity and welfare. It is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula.
The best Scandinavian country to live in: Sweden
The Swedish landscape ranks among the top countries in the world, Sweden ranks high in economics and welfare, and you can rest assured your children will get a great education, as school is free for anyone to attend.
Denmark is a Scandinavian country with one of the most powerful military infrastructures in Europe. In 2023, it has a global-firepower-index score of 0.8011.
Of the Nordic countries, Sweden has had the highest at-risk-of-poverty rate from 2011 to 2020. In 2020, 16 percent of Sweden's population lived at risk of poverty. Since 2015, Norway, Denmark, and Finland all have similar at-risk-of-poverty rates, around 12 percent in 2020.
In percentage terms growth has been highest in Norway at 12.3%, followed by Iceland at 10% and Sweden, the country with the biggest population, at 9.7%.
Norway doesn't get to have all the natural fun though, as Sweden is known for its beautiful landscapes, with over 90,000 lakes and a thriving forest that's teeming with wildlife. You'll be able to explore the lush greenery and check out waterfalls and lakes that look like they belong in a fairy tale.
In global rankings, Sweden frequently appears at or near the top. With a comparatively high quality of life, strong infrastructure, and the best system of healthcare and education, a large number of people continue moving to Sweden.
Today, Scandinavians are among the fittest in the world – in fact, Icelandic men have won the world's strongest man competition more than any other nation. Fellow Icelander Svava Sigbertsdottir has drawn on this legacy of strength, toughness and endurance to create a training programme called the Viking Method.
PowerIndex of military forces in Europe 2023
Russia had the most powerful military in Europe according to its PowerIndex score, which compares the strength and capability of different countries.
With an arsenal of 700 howitzers, 700 heavy mortars and 100 multiple rocket launchers, Finland has the largest artillery capability in western Europe. Homeland defence willingness against a superior enemy is at 83%, one of the highest rates in Europe.
For a population of only 5.5 million, Finland's conscript military is highly trained and potentially large. It trains at least 21,000 conscripts every year and has a reserve force of 900,000, so its wartime strength is estimated at 280,000. Sweden's military capacity is far smaller at 57,000.
The Nordic countries are always winning when it comes to the happiness race. Finland took the top spot for the sixth year in a row in 2023, followed by Denmark and Iceland. But why are they so consistently happy?
2 The key causes of Nordic prosperity and quality of life are often identified as wage equality, high public welfare spending, solid public primary and secondary education, and a relatively homogeneous population.
Iceland. Iceland stands at the top of countries with the lowest poverty rates with a poverty rate of 4.9% in 2021. In 2017, Iceland's poverty rate even hit 0%, according to the World Bank.
Chan, who gauged four parameters – education, creativity, cognitive skills and attractiveness for skilled immigrants – to determine the smartest countries in the world with the best innovation potential. Sweden tops the Nordic countries at sixth place, tightly followed by Finland and Denmark on 9th and 10th spots.
Iceland is the number 1 country on the Global Peace Index 2022 list and has held this position for the past 13 years.
All 5 of the Nordic countries – Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Sweden – are in the top 8 happiest nations in the world. Clearly, the Nordic region is doing something right!
Quality of life
Norway sits a top this ranking at the number 1 spot, with Denmark checking in at 4. Sweden, Finland, aren't far behind either. If good health, long life, education and a decent standard of living are attributes that are important to you, then the Nordic countries are worth consideration.
Stockholm, Sweden has on average the warmest summer of the Nordic capitals, with an average maximum temperature of 23 °C (73 °F) in July; Copenhagen, Oslo and Helsinki have an average July maximum temperature of 22 °C (72 °F).
The largest of all Nordic countries is Norway, with a surface of roughly 625,000 square kilometers. Its neighboring country Sweden is the second largest with a size of approximately 447,000 square kilometers. Finland follows in third with a surface area of more than 338,000 square kilometers.