Danes are Europe’s keenest nudists in principle and practice, survey suggests | Naturism

Germans may have a hard-earned reputation as Europe’s most enthusiastic nudists, but a survey suggests that Danes are not only more accepting of stripping in public, but also more likely to have actually done it.

The YouGov poll, conducted in six Western European countries (England, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain), found that Danes were the most likely to say it’s totally okay to be naked in public and practice it.

Unsurprisingly, vast majorities in all six countries agreed that it was okay to undress in private naturist spots; 84-94% had no problems with private nudist camps and 77-91% had no problems with nudist beaches, although 17% of French and Italians were against it.

But while most people in all countries surveyed disapprove of nudity in places such as public swimming pools or parks, 35% of Danes think it is okay to strip on a non-nude beach and 87% believe it is okay to be naked in your garden.

They were also more open to the idea of ​​nudity in open countryside, while majorities in other countries viewed wandering around naked as unacceptable, from 58% in Germany to 78% in Britain.

The Danes were also by far the most tolerant of light diving in the sea, lakes or rivers; While 64% said it was completely appropriate, the figure was only 25% for Italians, 31% for the French, 32% for the British and 49% for the Germans.

The Danes also practice what they preach. When asked in which of these seven environments they had personally been naked as an adult, more than half answered at least once, at least once. This rate was 45% for Germans and 44% for Spaniards.

There was a clear distinction between these three countries and the rest; Just 31% of French, 25% of Britons and 22% of Italians admitted to having gone completely out in one or another public space at some point in their adult lives.

Danes were the group that went naked or swam naked in their own gardens, with 36-37%; In contrast, for Spaniards the rate was only 27-29%, for Germans 20-29%, for French 19%, for British 13-14% and for Italians 11-12%.

But Germans have become champions of being naked in places designed for that purpose and reflecting a “free body culture.” Freikörperkultur or FKK – dates back to the late 19th century.

FKK’s popularity has waned in recent years, but the country remains one of the most liberal in the world regarding public nudity in designated areas, with beaches, lakesides and campsites reserved for the practice by law.

The survey found that only 12% of Danes undress in a private naturist area such as a beach or campsite; this was 6% less than the British, 14% less than the French and 11% less than the Italians, but 22% less than the Spanish and 25% less than the Germans.

Danes were more likely to say they would be willing to participate in public nudity; 50% said they would be prepared to undress in a public place, compared to 42% of Germans, 38% of Spaniards, 34% of the French and 29% of Britons and Italians.

In all six countries, men were more willing than women. In Denmark, the younger generation was more open to naturism, but in Germany the situation was the opposite: 31% of 18 to 34-year-olds said they would be willing to be nude in public, compared to 46-48% of those over 50.