Norwegian researcher says Nordic men report is nearly worthless

A Norwegian researcher has called a new report on men in the Nordic countries methodologically weak, saying its findings are “almost worthless.” mbl.is reports that similar criticism has also been raised in Iceland.

“This study really deserves a harsh response. It should not be allowed to shape the debate about men,” Jørn Ljunggren, a researcher at OsloMet who studies men and masculinity, told Norwegian outlet VG.

The report, State of Nordic Men 2026, was produced by the think tank Equimundo at the request of the Nordic Council of Ministers. More than 4,500 men and women took part.

One finding is that 47 per cent of Norwegian men believe the country would be better off with a leader who did not have to answer to parliament or democratic elections. The figure is more than twice as high as among Norwegian women. The report puts Iceland highest on this measure and Norway second.

Ljunggren said he did not believe the result. “If it were true that half of Norwegian men wanted a leader like Erdogan, it would be front-page news,” he said, adding that other studies had not found similar results.

He also questioned the report’s finding that Nordic men visit doctors more often than women, saying it ran counter to what has long been understood about gender differences in the use of health services.

Equimundo founder Gary Barker defended the report to VG, saying he had confidence in the data. He acknowledged, however, that researchers were surprised by the high share of Norwegian men who supported the idea of a leader not answerable to parliament or elections.

Barker said the study’s reliance on an online panel could have introduced bias, as participants might spend more time online than the general population and be more exposed to anti-democratic messages. Equimundo is considering publishing further details about the study’s methodology in response to the criticism.

The report also found that 43 per cent of Norwegian men agreed that resolving disagreements through violence was part of the masculine role, compared with 14 per cent of Norwegian women.