BACKGROUND The five Nordic countries seem rather homogeneous when assessed from abroad. They do have a lot in common: similar political systems, same standard of living, and even a common language root for a large part of the population. The Nordic countries have collaborated quite closely after the Second World War in fields like the labour market, pension rights and passport control. However, the health status has varied considerably during the twentieth century, even though death rates from some of the most common diseases such as cardiovascular disease are starting to converge. METHODS Vital statistics have been compared with regard to some common diseases. The differences are described according to current knowledge on preventive programmes such as breast cancer screening and screening for cardiovascular risk. The prevalence of some lifestyle variables such as alcohol, smoking, physical activity and fat consumption are reported. CONCLUSIONS Lung cancer and cancer of the stomach still show substantial variation between the countries. Both discrepancies and similarities must be related to lifestyle, culture, politics and to some extent genetics. The five countries have their own viewpoints on tobacco, alcohol and nutrition policy, with the Danes the more liberal, and Swedes, Finns and Norwegians pursuing a stricter policy. These differences are to some extent reflected in the incidence of lung cancer, which are more positive in Finland, and the high death rates from liver cirrhosis in Denmark. The relatively unsatisfactory development in Denmark may be a consequence of a much longer period of structural unemployment than the other countries, as well as a more liberal attitude towards alcohol and smoking.