Germans may have a hard-won reputation for being Europe’s most enthusiastic nudists, but a survey suggests Danes are not only more accepting of stripping off in public, but more likely to have actually done so.
The YouGov survey of six western European countries – the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – found that Danes were the most likely to say it was perfectly OK to bare all in public places – and to have followed through.
Unsurprisingly, large majorities across all six countries agreed it was fine to strip off in dedicated naturist spots, with 84-94% having no issues with private nudist camps and 77-91% fine with nudist beaches, though 17% of French and Italians objected.
Over 50% of Danes say they have been completely naked in public
But while most people in all countries surveyed disapproved of nudity in places such as public swimming pools or parks, 35% of Danes felt it was OK to strip off on a non-nudist beach and 87% believed it was fine to be naked in your garden.
They were also more open to the idea of nudity in the open countryside, while majorities in other countries ranging from 58% in Germany to 78% in Britain viewed naked rambling as unacceptable.
Danes were also by far the most tolerant of skinny dippingin the sea, lakes or rivers, with 64% saying the practice was perfectly OK, compared with only 25% of Italians, 31% of French people, 32% of Britons and 49% of Germans.
Danes practise what they preach, too. Asked in which of these seven settings they had personally been naked as an adult, more than half answered at least one, at least once. That compared with 45% of Germans and 44% of Spaniards.
There was a marked divide between these three countries and the rest, with just 31% of French people, 25% of Britons and 22% of Italians confessing to having bared all in one or other public place at some point in their adult lives.
Danes were the most likely to have been naked in their own garden or been skinny dipping, at 36-37%, compared with only 27-29% of Spaniards, 20-29% of Germans, 19% of French people, 13-14% of Britons and 11-12% of Italians.
Germans, however, were the champions when it came to being naked in places designed for the purpose, reflecting a “free-body culture” – Freikörperkultur or FKK – dating back to the late 19th century.
skip past newsletter promotion
Sign up to This is Europe
The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
Where do Europeans think it is acceptable to be naked in public?
FKK’s popularity has dipped in recent years, but the country remains one of the most liberal in the world for public nudity in designated spaces, with sections of beaches, lakesides and campsites reserved by law for the practice.
The survey found that only 12% of Danes had stripped off in a dedicated naturist site such as a beach or campsite, more than Britons at 6%, similar to the French at 14% and Italians at 11%, but fewer than the Spaniards at 22% and Germans at 25%.
Danes were also more likely to say they would be willing to partake in public nudity, with 50% saying they would be up for stripping off in a public place compared with 42% of Germans, 38% of Spaniards, 34% of French people and 29% of Britons and Italians.
Men were keener than women in all six countries. In Denmark younger generations were more open to naturism, but in Germany it was the reverse: 31% of 18- to 34-year-olds said they would be willing to be naked in public, compared with 46-48% of over-50s.
