Sweden has the smallest number of smokers in the Nordic countries

A few more interesting figures from the Nordic Statistical Yearbook 2009, which covers Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland (as well as the Åland Islands, the Faroe Islands and Greenland) include:

• Shopping was cheapest in Sweden in 2008. Food prices were 10% higher than in the 15 ‘old’ member states of the European Union, but at the same time 46% lower than in Norway, the country with the most expensive shopping basket in the Nordic countries.

• Swedes travel most from one country to another due to work. 9000 Sweden travelled to Denmark for work in 2005, and two years later this figure had increased to 18,000.

• Lucas is the most popular boy’s name in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

• Sweden has been the most successful in cutting emissions of greenhouse gases.

This year, the Nordic Council's Session is being held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, and will mainly concern cooperation with the European Union and discuss issues related to the climate and the environment, looking forward to December, when the world will gather in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

The prime ministers of the five Nordic countries will meet their Baltic colleagues on 26 October, before the official start of the Nordic summit.