This Selected Issues paper elaborates findings and discussions of 2013 Cluster Consultation Nordic Regional report. The countries have close economic and financial ties and face some common challenges and shared risks, such as large banking sectors and high household debt. The economic performance of the four continental Nordic economies (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden—Nordic-4) ranks among the advanced economic development circle. It is analyzed that the large Nordic banking systems support relatively high levels of private sector debt. House price developments in the Nordic-4 pose a risk to broader macroeconomic stability in the context of strained household balance sheets.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2020-001/ Abstract [en] State of the Nordic Region 2020 gives you a unique look behind the scenes of the world’s most integrated region, comprised of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The report presents a series of facts and figures showing the current state of play within core socioeconomic sectors, including demography, labour market and economy. In addition, you can read about wellbeing and energy pathways towards a carbon neutral Nordic Region. State of the Nordic Region 2020 is published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and produced by Nordregio, an international research center for regional development and planning established by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The Nordic future of workHow will work and working life in the Nordic countries change in the future? This is the question to be addressed in the project The Future of Work: Opportunities and Challenges for the Nordic Models. This initial report describes the main drivers and trends expected to shape the future of work. It also reviews the main distinctions of the Nordic model and recent developments in Nordic working lives, pointing towards the kind of challenges the future of work may pose to the Nordic models. Too often, debates about the future narrowly focus on changes in technology. This report draws attention to the broader drivers and political-institutional frameworks influencing working life developments, aiming to spur debate about how the interaction of changes in demography, climate, globalization and digital technologies may influence Nordic working lives in the coming decades.

State of the Nordic Region and a range of other publications are a result of the Nordic Council of Ministers placing greater emphasis on providing and sharing knowledge and insight with decision makers throughout the Region. State of the Nordic Region compiles knowledge and information that provides a holistic perspective on developments in the Region and helps decision-makers to draw up new policies. It highlights our successes and sheds light on the challenges we face in key areas of society. State of the Nordic Region is produced by Nordregio, the Nordic Council of Ministers’ research centre for regional development and planning, which has produced similar reports for a number of years but has now embarked on a series of more ambitious ones. As well as demographics, the economy and the labour market, State of the Nordic Region contains chapters on digitalisation, bio-economics, health and culture.

This Special Edition aims to complement State of the Nordic Region 2020 by taking an in-depth look at some of the factors that contribute to wellbeing and health in the Nordic Region, and exploring how digitalisation in health care and social care can contribute to wellbeing. The report illustrates the central role of demography, whereby the composition and the spatial patterns of the population together with socio-economic factors contribute to shaping the living conditions and wellbeing in different parts of the Nordic Region. Despite a general pattern of urban regions being richer, more well educated and living longer, we also find many thriving rural areas attracting new young residents. Digital infrastructure plays a crucial role for the development of those rural areas.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-515/ NABO is a pan-Nordic project about the social inclusion of young persons in their respective societies. The project was launched under the Swedish presidency in the Nordic Council of Ministers 2018 and runs over the period 2018–2021. The project focuses on how youths talk about themselves and others in relation to five aspects of social inclusion – experiences of belonging, opportunities to influence, opportunities to participate, access to society’s resources and services and support from family and social networks. The Nabo-project have produced reports which shed light on how youth describe various aspects of social inclusion in all the Nordic countries and in Greenland, the Faroe Island and Åland. This is the comparison study of these eight reports.