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The Reykjavík Grapevine Archives

Iceland has the highest proportion of overweight and obese residents in the Nordic region, according to findings from NORMO 2025, reports RÚV.

The report monitors diet, physical activity, body composition, and alcohol and tobacco use across the region, drawing on data from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway. It includes statistics on overweight, obesity, and lifestyle habits such as exercise and screen use.

One of the main findings is that 56 percent of adults in the Nordic region, and one in five children, are overweight or obese. Iceland fares the worst, with 70 percent of adults falling into those categories. This marks a 10 percent increase since the previous NORMO study in 2014.

Additionally, 27.5 percent of Icelanders now have a BMI over 30, a 6.5 percent rise since 2014. Among children, Iceland again ranks highest, with 26 percent affected. The average BMI in the region is 26.5, within the overweight range.

The report also notes declining dietary quality across the Nordic countries. Consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains has dropped, while intake of sugary foods has increased. In Iceland, people eat more fish and less meat than most other Nordic nations — only Norwegians eat more fish — but consume fewer fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Icelanders also top the list for sugary foods, averaging eight servings per week.

Children follow the same pattern: relatively high fish consumption, low fruit, vegetable and whole-grain intake.

Energy drink consumption has more than doubled across the region in the past decade, especially among young people. Icelandic children and adolescents are among the highest consumers, despite links to sleep, mental health and concentration problems.

Icelanders drink the least alcohol

Iceland performs best in alcohol consumption. Per week, Danes consume the most (5.2 drinks) and Icelanders the least (2.5 drinks).

Binge drinking — defined as consuming five or more drinks in one sitting — was most common in Denmark (45 percent in the past month) and least common in Sweden (32.4 percent). In Iceland, 37 percent reported binge drinking in the past month. Overall alcohol consumption in Iceland has decreased since 2014.

Smoking down, nicotine pouches and vaping up

Daily cigarette smoking in Iceland fell from 15 percent to 8 percent between 2014 and 2024. At the same time, use of smokeless nicotine products rose from 5.7 percent to 17 percent, and Icelanders now have the highest daily vaping rate in the Nordic region (7.1 percent).

Overall, 27 percent of Icelanders use some form of nicotine product daily — a 7 percent increase since 2014.

Too little physical activity

Across the Nordic region, one in four to one in three adults fail to meet WHO 2020 physical activity recommendations. The rate is similar for men and women.

In Iceland, one in three children does not get enough exercise. Nordic-wide, half of all children fall short of guidelines.

Icelanders also recorded the lowest amount of walking or cycling: 1.9 hours per week, compared with 5 hours in Sweden.