According to EU Council data published on November 6th, the average life expectancy in the EU region of Zealand (which includes the island of Lolland, Falster and Møn), was just 80.5 years. 

This compares to 84.1 years in Stockholm, 83.2 years in Oslo, 82.3 years in Helsinki, and 83.2 years in Iceland.

The region which had the next shortest life span in the Nordics was North and Eastern Finland, with a life expectancy of 81.3 years.

The most short-lived region in Sweden was central Norrland, with an average life expectancy of 82.2 years, while in Norway it was the region of Innlandet with a life expectancy of 82.4 years. 

After Zealand, the most short-lived region in Denmark was North Jutland, with an average life span of 81 years. 

Obviously, these are not enormous differences, particularly when you consider that the average lifespan across the Baltic Sea in Latvia is just 68.2 years.

But it still means the average resident of the semi-autonomous Finnish island region of Åland is living four years more than the average Zealander, while people living in Skåne, just across the Øresund, can expect to live about two and half years extra.  

Denmark actually has much to congratulate itself on, as life expectancy in the country as a whole has risen from 77.1 years in 2002 to 81.5 in 2021, one of the biggest improvements of any country in the EU. 

But the country still has higher rates of smoking and drinking than the other Nordic countries. 

The OECD’s Health at a Glance guide, out earlier this month, reported that alcohol consumption was higher in Denmark than the OECD average, at 10.4 litres per capita to 8.6 litres across the 38 countries, while Swedes drunk on average just 7.6 litres. 

When it comes to smoking, 14 percent of Danes over the age of 15 smoke regularly, compared to 12 percent of Finns, 10 precent of Swedes, and 8 percent of Norwegians. 

The average diet in Denmark is also generally less healthy, with only 46 percent of Danes eating vegetables every day, compared to 66 percent of Swedes and 67 percent of Norwegians.   

The healthiest eaters among the Danes were, however, healthier than the healthiest eating Swedes, with 23 percent eating more than five portions compared to just 8 percent of Swedes. 

The cancer mortality rate in Denmark was also higher in Denmark than the OECD average.

Despite the improvement in the average Dane’s lifestyles, people who are old today lived most of their lives in the days when Danes stood out even more for their bad habits.