Welfare & Public Services
The universal welfare state is a cornerstone of Danish society. But with an ageing population and growing pressure on public services, there is an ongoing debate about who should pay and who should deliver them.
SUMMARY
The universal welfare state is a cornerstone of Danish society. But with an ageing population and growing pressure on public services, there is an ongoing debate about who should pay and who should deliver them. Public health spending per capita: DKK 45,000 (Sundhedsstyrelsen 2022). State pensioners in Denmark: 1.1 million (Danmarks Statistik 2023).
KEY FIGURES
See statistics in the charts below ↓
EVIDENCE BASE
The universal welfare state is associated with high social trust, low poverty and high quality of life in international comparison.
Demographic pressure: the share of those aged 65 and over will rise from 20% (2024) to 25% of the population by 2040.
Public welfare spending amounts to roughly 28-33% of GDP depending on the measurement method and the business cycle.
STATISTICS AND DATA
PARTY POSITIONS
Importance shows how central this topic is to each party's platform.
