Breaking Ageing Records
Municipal Perspectives on Population Ageing in the Nordics
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This study explores subnational population ageing across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden by examining municipalities that hold record values in three ageing measures: the share of the population aged 65 and over, mean age, and the prospective old-age dependency ratio. The analysis covers 1986-2023 for Sweden, Finland and Norway, 1998-2023 for Iceland and 2008-2023 for Denmark. The analysis reveals strikingly linear trends in record ageing, particularly for the share of the population aged 65+ and mean age, underscoring a linear increase in the upper bounds of ageing at the local level. In contrast, the prospective dependency ratio shows more varied patterns. The identity of record-holding municipalities also varies, with Denmark and Iceland showing stable leaders and Sweden, Finland, and Norway displaying more variety. This study provides a novel municipal-level perspective on population ageing in the Nordic countries, revealing substantive differences within and between countries in how record-oldest municipalities evolve.
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Details
| DOI | |
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| Published |
November 28, 2025
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| Issue | |
| Section |
Research findings
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| Keywords | Population Ageing, Nordic Countries, Record Ageing, Ageing Trends |
| How to Cite |
Hanika, S. (2025). Breaking Ageing Records: Municipal Perspectives on Population Ageing in the Nordics. Nordic Yearbook of Population Research, 58, 97-112. https://doi.org/10.23979/nypr.161295
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| Data |
The data and code are openly available and accessible at https://osf.io/s5c9b/ |
| License |
Copyright (c) 2025 Sebastian Hanika  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Authors who publish with the Nordic Yearbook of Population Research agree to the following terms:
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