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/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.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2021-032/ While the Nordic countries have long been champions of equality, the Covid-19 pandemic has put a new light on societal structural injustices inherent in our societies. The pandemic thus reveals and reminds us about the serious effects of segregation and unequal societies, and necessitates a closer look at the potential injustice involved. This study aims to identify structural barriers involved in following recommendations from Public Health Authorities during the pandemic, especially in socio-economically vulnerable, low-income districts. Learning about these circumstances will help Nordic societies be better prepared for future challenges and crises

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2021-049/ The ambition of this report is to facilitate more clarity on what a Wellbeing Economy in essence is, what different shapes it can take, how it functions in practice, as well as its benefits and drawbacks.

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. It is free to read, download and share on Elgaronline.com. Focusing on the social impact of migration, this book explores migration as an inevitable part of rural development and transition in light of the sharp political divides in European and national political arenas on the topic. It provides an innovative immigration impact assessment based on recently conducted empirical work to enhance local development in European rural and remote regions, looking to promote change in the perception of migration and related policies and practices.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2020-051/ The First 1000 Days in the Nordic Countries is a Nordic collaborative project, launched as part of the 2019 Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, with the aim to support healthy emotional development and good mental health during the first 1000 days of life (from conception to the age of two). The first phase involved a situation analysis in which extensive data was gathered from across the Nordic countries about practices to support wellbeing and identify early risk factors in prenatal care, infant and child healthcare and early childhood education and care. The results are presented in this report with detailed country profiles and a comparison across countries. Significant strengths and challenges are identified when it comes to supporting young children's wellbeing within the Nordic region and examples of good practice from each participating country are offered.