This article examines the relationship between the cultural, social and economic capital of students from the Nordic countries and their level of scientific literacy, based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 study. The analysis shows that the relationship between the home's economic capital and students' level of scientific literacy is relatively weak in all the Nordic countries, a result that is consistent with previous research. However, the relationship between the cultural capital of the home and the level of scientific literacy is found to be surprisingly strong in several of these countries. The results presented in the article may be interpreted as a need in science education for a special focus on students from lower cultural backgrounds. To ensure that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds also achieve an adequate level of scientific literacy, it is argued that a cultural approach in science education is relevant and important.