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While Germans were known for an image as the continent's keenest advocates of public nudity, new research indicates that Danes are not only more tolerant about removing clothes in open spaces, and also more prone to have practiced it.

Survey Methodology

This extensive survey examined 6 continental states – United Kingdom, the Danish nation, the French republic, the German state, Italy and the Spanish kingdom. Findings showed that participants from Denmark stood out as most probable to state that public nudity was perfectly acceptable – in addition to have acted on it.

General Attitudes Across Europe

As expected, significant majorities across all six countries concurred that nudity was acceptable in dedicated naturist spots. Between most respondents had no objections with private nudist camps, whereas a large majority supported clothing-optional shorelines.

More than 50% Danish people state being fully nude in open spaces

Country-Specific Attitudes

Although respondents throughout the surveyed countries expressed disapproval to nudity in places like public swimming pools and parks, Denmark's views differed significantly. Around 35% Denmark's participants felt it appropriate to undress on a non-nudist beach, while 87% felt going nude in personal outdoor space was appropriate.

Rural Nudity Perspectives

Participants from Denmark also demonstrated more acceptance toward being nude in the open countryside. In contrast, most people in the remaining nations – from as low as fifty-eight percent in Germany to 78% in Britain – viewed naked rambling as not acceptable.

Skinny Dipping Practices

When it comes to open water nudity in the ocean, lakes and rivers, Danish people showed by far the highest tolerance. Approximately 64% viewed the practice entirely appropriate, in contrast to only twenty-five percent of Italian respondents, 31% of participants from France, 32% of British people and forty-nine percent of Germans.

Actual Participation Rates

Participants from Denmark didn't just express supportive attitudes but also showed high participation rates. Upon questioning about which seven settings they had personally been naked as mature individuals, over 50% of Danes reported at least one instance.

That contrasted with 45% of Germans and forty-four percent of Spaniards. A marked difference appeared among these states versus remaining participants, with just thirty-one percent of French people, twenty-five percent of British people and twenty-two percent of Italians acknowledging to stripping off entirely in public places as adults.

Detailed Setting Analysis

• Danes emerged as most inclined to have been naked in their private garden and swim naked, with 36-37% indicating such experiences
• This contrasts with only 27-29% of Spanish participants
• 20-29% of participants from Germany
• nineteen percent of participants from France
• 13-14% of UK residents
• 11-12% of respondents from Italy

Germany's FKK Culture

Participants from Germany, though, maintained their champion status when it involved being naked in settings expressly created for clothing-optional recreation. This demonstrates Germany's traditional "Freikörperkultur" – a cultural phenomenon dating back to the 1800s.

Although recent declines in the past few years, Germany remains one of the most liberal states worldwide for stripping off in authorized locations. Sections of beaches, lakefronts plus campgrounds are reserved by law for this practice.

Designated Naturist Sites

The survey showed that only twelve percent of participants from Denmark had stripped off in designated clothing-optional areas including beaches and campgrounds. This was higher than British participation at 6%, was similar to French percentages at 14% and Italian at eleven percent, but remained lower than Spain's twenty-two percent plus German 25%.

Openness to Future Nudity

Danish respondents furthermore showed greater willingness to practice stripping off in open spaces in the future. Around 50% indicated they would be willing to strip off in a open space, against 42% of participants from Germany, 38% of respondents from Spain, 34% of French people and 29% of each of Britons plus Italians.

Population Differences

Across all surveyed nations, men showed higher willingness compared to female respondents regarding public nudity. Age-related differences additionally emerged: Within Danish society, younger people were more receptive to public nudity, whereas in German society the contrasting situation was observed.

In detail, thirty-one percent of younger Germans expressed willingness to be naked in public, compared with 46-48% of over-50s.