Editing Denmark (section)

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of Denmark}}
{{See also|Demographics of the Faroe Islands|Demographics of Greenland|List of urban areas in Denmark by population|List of cities and towns in Denmark}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Population by ancestry (Q2 2020):<ref name="pop1" />
|label1 = People of Danish origin (including ''Faroese'' and ''Greenlandic'')
|value1= 86.11
|color1= DarkBlue
|label2 = Immigrant
|value2 = 10.56
|color2 = DarkGray
|label3 = Descendant of an immigrant
|value3 = 3.34
|color3 = MediumBlue
}}

=== Population ===
In January 2025, the population of Denmark, as registered by [[Statistics Denmark]], was 5.99 million.<ref name="pop1" /> Denmark has one of the oldest populations in the world, with the [[Population pyramid|average age of 42.2 years]],<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/denmark/|title=World Factbook Europe : Denmark |work=[[The World Factbook]]|date=12 July 2018|access-date=23 January 2021|archive-date=5 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210705032013/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/denmark/|url-status=live}}</ref> with 0.99 males per female. Despite a low [[birth rate]] of 11.3 births per 1000 population, the population is growing at an average annual rate of 0.44%<ref name="factbook2" /> because of net immigration and increasing [[longevity]]. The [[World Happiness Report]] frequently ranks Denmark's population as the happiest in the world.<ref name="happiness">{{cite web|editor1-last=Helliwell |editor1-first=John |editor2-last=Layard |editor2-first=Richard |editor3-last=Sachs |editor3-first=Jeffrey |editor3-link=Jeffrey Sachs |title=World Happiness Report 2016 |url=http://5c28efcb768db11c7204-4ffd2ff276d22135df4d1a53ae141422.r82.cf5.rackcdn.com/HR-V1_web.pdf |publisher=Sustainable Development Solutions Network |access-date=17 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318091325/http://5c28efcb768db11c7204-4ffd2ff276d22135df4d1a53ae141422.r82.cf5.rackcdn.com/HR-V1_web.pdf |archive-date=18 March 2016 }}</ref><ref name=Earth_Institute_2013>Helliwell, John; Layard, Richard; Sachs, Jeffrey [http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/Sachs%20Writing/2012/World%20Happiness%20Report.pdf World Happiness Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902171441/http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/Sachs%20Writing/2012/World%20Happiness%20Report.pdf |date=2 September 2013 }}. ''[[The Earth Institute]]'' at [[Columbia University]], p. 8. See also: [http://unsdsn.org/files/2013/09/WorldHappinessReport2013_online.pdf World Happiness Report 2013] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004215838/http://unsdsn.org/files/2013/09/WorldHappinessReport2013_online.pdf |date=4 October 2013 }}, p. 23.; [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/22/denmark-happiest-country_n_4070761.html Denmark Is Considered The Happiest Country. You'll Never Guess Why.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023134428/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/22/denmark-happiest-country_n_4070761.html |date=23 October 2013 }} ''[[Huffington Post]].'' 22 October 2013.</ref><ref name="BruceStokes">Stokes, Buce (8 June 2011). [https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/06/the-happiest-countries-in-the-world/240103/ The Happiest Countries in the World] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425034007/https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/06/the-happiest-countries-in-the-world/240103/ |date=25 April 2017 }}. ''[[The Atlantic]].'' Retrieved 20 September 2013</ref> This has been attributed to the country's highly regarded education and [[Health care in Denmark|health care]] systems,<ref name=Taylor>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/denmark-is-the-worlds-happiest-country--official-410075.html |title=Denmark is the world's happiest country – official – Europe, World |work=The Independent |location=London |date=1 August 2006 |access-date=5 May 2009 |first=Jerome |last=Taylor |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309234926/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/denmark-is-the-worlds-happiest-country--official-410075.html |archive-date=9 March 2009 }}</ref> and its low level of [[income inequality]].<ref name=eurogini>{{cite web|title=Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income (source: SILC)|url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_di12|publisher=Eurostat Data Explorer|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045123/http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_di12|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>  People in Denmark feel responsible for [[social welfare]].  The rate of taxation is among the world's highest and can be half a Dane's income but they get most healthcare free, university tuition is also free and students get grants, there is subsidized [[child care]] and [[Pensions in Denmark|old people get pensions]] and care helpers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/21/top-10-happiest-countries-in-the-world-2023.html |title=Finland is the No. 1 happiest country in the world for the sixth year in a row |website=[[CNBC]] |date=21 March 2023 |access-date=4 December 2023 |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204110537/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/21/top-10-happiest-countries-in-the-world-2023.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Denmark is a historically [[Homogeneity (statistics)|homogeneous]] nation.<ref name="Thomas2016">{{cite book|first=Alastair H.|last=Thomas|title=Historical Dictionary of Denmark|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aPq6DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA11|year=2016|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-6465-6|page=11|access-date=3 October 2018|archive-date=17 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117030654/https://books.google.com/books?id=aPq6DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA11|url-status=live}}</ref> However, as with its Scandinavian neighbours, Denmark has recently transformed from a nation of [[net migration|net emigration]], up until World War II, to a nation of net immigration. Today, [[residence permit]]s are issued mostly to immigrants from other EU countries (54% of all non-Scandinavian immigrants in 2017). Another 31% of residence permits were study- or work-related, 4% were issued to [[asylum seeker]]s and 10% to persons who arrive as family dependants.<ref>{{cite web|title=VAN8A: Immigrations (year) by citizenship, sex and residence permit|url=http://www.statbank.dk/VAN8A|publisher=[[Statistics Denmark]]|access-date=18 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012172855/http://www.statbank.dk/VAN8A|archive-date=12 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Overall, the net migration rate in 2017 was 2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population, somewhat lower than the United Kingdom and the other Nordic countries.<ref name="factbook2" /><ref>For comparisons and developments see: {{cite web |url=http://esa.un.org/miggmgprofiles/indicators/files/Denmark.pdf|title=Denmark – Migration Profiles |publisher=UNICEF |date=2013 |access-date=5 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194636/http://esa.un.org/miggmgprofiles/indicators/files/Denmark.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Statistics on migration only includes people changing citizenship and does not always provide a realistic picture of migration pressure. In Denmark, 5% of the population were non-citizens in 2005, which is a relatively high figure. See {{cite report |url=https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/events/coordination/4/docs/P12_OECD.pdf |title=Counting Immigrant and Expatriates in OECD Countries: A New Perspective|publisher=OECD|pages=119–120 |date=21 October 2005 |access-date=5 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415081147/http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/events/coordination/4/docs/P12_OECD.pdf |archive-date=15 April 2016 |url-status=live}} for example.</ref>

There are no official statistics on [[ethnic group]]s, but according to 2020 figures from Statistics Denmark, 86.1% of the population in Denmark was of [[Danes|Danish]] descent (including ''[[Faroese Dane|Faroese]]'' and ''[[Greenlandic people in Denmark|Greenlandic]]''), defined as having at least one parent who was born in the [[Realm of Denmark|Kingdom of Denmark]] and holds [[Danish nationality law|Danish nationality]].<ref name="pop1">{{cite web |title=Population at the first day of the quarter by municipality, sex, age, marital status, ancestry, country of origin and citizenship |url=http://www.statbank.dk/FOLK1c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222013330/https://www.statbank.dk/FOLK1C |archive-date=22 December 2022 |access-date=28 March 2025 |publisher=[[Statistics Denmark]] |quote=}}</ref><ref group=N name="denonly group=N">This data is for Denmark [[wikt:proper#Adjective|proper]] only. For data relevant to [[Greenland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]] see their respective articles.</ref> The remaining 13.89% were of foreign background, defined as immigrants or descendants of recent immigrants. With the same definition, the most common countries of origin were [[Demographics of Turkey|Turkey]], [[Polish people|Poland]], [[Syrians|Syria]], [[Germans|Germany]], [[Iraqis|Iraq]], [[Romanians|Romania]], [[Lebanon]], [[Pakistanis|Pakistan]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], and [[Somalis|Somalia]].<ref name="pop1" /> Minorities in Denmark include [[Turkish people|Turks]], [[Poles (people)|Poles]], [[Syria]]ns, [[Germans]], [[Iraqis]], [[Romanians]] and people from former [[Yugoslavia]]. There are also other Asian and African populations in the country. Small numbers of [[Romani people]] and [[Hungarians]] live in Denmark. There is also a small [[Jews|Jewish]] population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://minorityrights.org/country/denmark/|title=Denmark – World Directory of Minorities & Indigenous Peoples|date=2 November 2023|access-date=4 January 2024|archive-date=28 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228000205/https://minorityrights.org/country/denmark/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Greenlandic Inuit|Inuit]] are Indigenous to Greenland in the Kingdom and have traditionally inhabited Greenland and the northern parts of Canada and Alaska in the [[Arctic]]. From the 18th century up to the 1970s, the Danish government (Dano-Norwegian until 1814) tried to assimilate the Greenlandic Inuit, encouraging them to adopt the majority language and culture. Because of this "Danization process", some persons of Inuit ancestry now identify their mother tongue as Danish.

{{Largest cities of Denmark}}

=== Languages ===
{{Main|Languages of Denmark}}
{{See also|Languages of the Faroe Islands|Languages of Greenland|Minority languages of Denmark}}
[[Danish language|Danish]] is the ''de facto'' [[national language]] of Denmark.<ref name="Ethnologue" /> [[Faroese language|Faroese]] and [[Greenlandic language|Greenlandic]] are the official languages of the Faroe Islands and Greenland respectively.<ref name="Ethnologue">{{cite book |editor1-first=M. Paul |editor1-last=Lewis |year=2009 |title=Ethnologue: Languages of the World |edition=16th |publisher=SIL International. |location=Dallas, Texas |isbn=978-1-55671-216-6 |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/ |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227170852/http://www.ethnologue.com/ |archive-date=27 December 2007 |url-status=live  }}</ref> [[German language|German]] is a recognised [[minority language]] in the area of the former [[South Jutland County]] (now part of the [[Region of Southern Denmark]]), which was part of the German Empire prior to the [[Treaty of Versailles]].<ref name="Ethnologue" /> Danish and Faroese belong to the [[North Germanic languages|North Germanic]] (Nordic) branch of the [[Indo-European languages]], along with [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], and [[Swedish language|Swedish]].<ref name="language">{{cite web|title=Language|url=http://www.norden.org/en/the-nordic-region/language|publisher=The Nordic Council|access-date=7 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140721051426/http://www.norden.org/en/the-nordic-region/language|archive-date=21 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> There is some degree of [[North Germanic languages#Mutual intelligibility|mutual intelligibility between Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish]]. Danish is more distantly related to German, which is a [[West Germanic languages|West Germanic]] language. Greenlandic or "Kalaallisut" is an [[Inuit languages|Inuit language]], and is entirely unrelated to Danish,<ref name="language" /> although it has adopted many Danish [[loanword]]s including the words for numbers.

A large majority (86%) of Danes speak [[English language|English]] as a second language,<ref>{{cite web|title=Europeans and their Languages|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf|work=[[Eurobarometer]]|publisher=[[European Commission]]|access-date=22 May 2014|date=February 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414102658/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf|archive-date=14 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> generally with a high level of [[language proficiency|proficiency]]. German is the second-most spoken foreign language, with 47% reporting a conversational level of proficiency.<ref name="Ethnologue" /> Denmark had 25,900 [[first language|native speakers]] of German in 2007 (mostly in the South Jutland area).<ref name="Ethnologue" />

=== Religion ===

{{Main|Religion in Denmark}}
{{Hatnote|Also related: [[Religion in the Faroe Islands]] and [[Religion in Greenland]]}}

[[File:Roskilde Cathedral aerial.jpg|thumb|[[Roskilde Cathedral]] has been the [[burial]] place of Danish royalty since the 15th century. In 1995 it became a [[World Heritage Site]]]][[Christianity in Denmark|Christianity]] is the dominant religion in Denmark. As of 2024, 71.2%<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population at the first day of the quarter by parish and member of the National Church – StatBank Denmark – data and statistics |url=https://www.statbank.dk/statbank5a/selectvarval/define.asp?PLanguage=1&subword=tabsel&MainTable=KM1&PXSId=237622&tablestyle=&ST=SD&buttons=0 |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=www.statbank.dk}}</ref> of the population of Denmark were members of the [[Church of Denmark]] ({{lang|da|Den Danske Folkekirke}}), the [[state religion|officially established]] church, which is [[Protestant]] in classification and [[Lutheran]] in orientation.<ref>[http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/da00000_.html Denmark – Constitution] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710092702/http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/da00000_.html |date=10 July 2011 }} – Part I – Section 4 [State Church]: "The Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the Established Church of Denmark, and, as such, it shall be supported by the State."</ref><ref group="N">The Church of Denmark is the established church (or state religion) in Denmark and Greenland; the [[Church of the Faroe Islands]] became an independent body in 2007.</ref> The membership percentage has been in steady decline since the 1970s, mainly as fewer newborns are being [[Baptism|baptised]] into it.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Thomsen Højsgaard|first=Morten|url=https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/derfor-forlader-flere-folk-kirken|title=Derfor mister kirken mere af folket|date=21 February 2018|work=Kristeligt Dagblad|access-date=5 April 2020|language=da|archive-date=4 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004165923/https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/derfor-forlader-flere-folk-kirken|url-status=live}}</ref> Only 3% of the population regularly attend Sunday services<ref name="report 2009">{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2009/127307.htm|title=Denmark – Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor|year=2009|work=International Religious Freedom Report 2009|publisher=U.S. Department of State|access-date=23 August 2012|archive-date=26 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026213419/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2009/127307.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/13117/religion-europe-trust-filling-pews.aspx|title=Religion in Europe: Trust Not Filling the Pews|last=Manchin|first=Robert|date=21 September 2004|work=Gallup Poll|publisher=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120155549/http://www.gallup.com/poll/13117/religion-europe-trust-filling-pews.aspx |archive-date=20 January 2013|access-date=23 August 2012}}</ref> and only 19% of Danes consider religion to be an important part of their life.<ref name="gallup-religiosity-poor-nations">{{cite web|last1=Crabtree|first1=Steve|title=Religiosity Highest in World's Poorest Nations|date=31 August 2010 |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/142727/religiosity-highest-world-poorest-nations.aspx|publisher=Gallup|access-date=27 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823202612/http://www.gallup.com/poll/142727/religiosity-highest-world-poorest-nations.aspx|archive-date=23 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Constitution of Denmark|Constitution]] states that the sovereign must have the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran faith]], though the rest of the population is [[Religious pluralism|free to adhere to other faiths]].<ref>[http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/da00000_.html Denmark – Constitution] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710092702/http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/da00000_.html |date=10 July 2011 }} – Part II – Section 6 .</ref><ref>[http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/da00000_.html Denmark – Constitution] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710092702/http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/da00000_.html |date=10 July 2011 }} – Part VII – Section 70: "No person shall for reasons of his creed or descent be deprived of access to complete enjoyment of his civic and political rights, nor shall he for such reasons evade compliance with any common civic duty."</ref><ref name=FoR>[http://www.km.dk/fileadmin/share/Trossamfund/Freedom_of_religion.pdf Freedom of religion and religious communities in Denmark] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205165930/http://www.km.dk/fileadmin/share/Trossamfund/Freedom_of_religion.pdf |date=5 February 2012 }} – The Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs – May 2006</ref> In 1682 the state granted limited recognition to three religious groups dissenting from the Established Church: [[Roman Catholicism in Denmark|Roman Catholicism]], [[Reformed Synod of Denmark|the Reformed Church]] and [[History of the Jews in Denmark|Judaism]],<ref name=FoR /> although conversion to these groups from the Church of Denmark remained illegal initially. Until the 1970s, the state formally recognised "religious societies" by [[royal decree]]. Today, religious groups do not need official government recognition, they can be granted the right to perform weddings and other ceremonies without this recognition.<ref name=FoR /> [[Islam in Denmark|Denmark's Muslims]] make up approximately 4.4% of the population<ref name=jac2020>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tjekdet.dk/hvor-mange-muslimer-er-der-i-danmark|title=Hvor mange muslimer er der i Danmark?|work=tjekdet.dk|access-date=14 November 2020|language=da-DK|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127073817/https://www.tjekdet.dk/hvor-mange-muslimer-er-der-i-danmark|url-status=live}}</ref> and form the country's second largest religious community and largest [[minority religion]].<ref name=jac2018>{{Cite news|url=https://www.religion.dk/religionsanalysen/hvor-mange-indvandrer-lever-i-danmark|title=Hvor mange muslimer bor der i Danmark?|work=religion.dk|access-date=8 February 2018|language=da-DK|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209134230/https://www.religion.dk/religionsanalysen/hvor-mange-indvandrer-lever-i-danmark|archive-date=9 December 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Denmark)|Danish Foreign Ministry]] estimates that other [[Religious denomination|religious groups]] comprise less than 1% of the population individually and approximately 2% when taken all together.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.um.dk/Publikationer/UM/English/Denmark/kap1/1-14.asp |title=Religion in Denmark |access-date=8 February 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060208030036/http://www.um.dk/Publikationer/UM/English/Denmark/kap1/1-14.asp |archive-date=8 February 2006 }} – From the [[Danish Foreign Ministry]]. Archive retrieved on 3 January 2012.</ref> Just under 20% of the Danish population identifies as [[Atheism|atheist]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Næsten hver femte dansker kalder sig ateist|work=[[Berlingske Tidende]]|date=7 October 2013|url=http://www.b.dk/nationalt/naesten-hver-femte-dansker-kalder-sig-ateist|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009032921/http://www.b.dk/nationalt/naesten-hver-femte-dansker-kalder-sig-ateist|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 October 2013|access-date=2016-11-19}}</ref>

According to a 2010 [[Eurobarometer]] poll,<ref>{{cite report|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_341_en.pdf |series=Eurobarometer 73.1 |title=Biotechnology |page=204 |date=October 2010|orig-year=Fieldwork: Jan–Feb 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215001129/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_341_en.pdf |archive-date=15 December 2010}}</ref> 28% of Danish nationals polled responded that they "believe there is a [[God]]", 47% responded that they "believe there is some sort of [[Spirit (animating force)|spirit or life force]]" and 24% responded that they "do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force". Another poll, carried out in 2009, found that 25% of Danes believe [[Jesus]] is the [[God the Son|son of God]], and 18% believe he is the [[Redeemer (Christianity)|saviour of the world]].<ref>{{cite web |quote=Poll performed in December 2009 among 1114 Danes between ages 18 and 74 |url=http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/artikel/350709:Kirke---tro--Hver-fjerde-dansker-tror-paa-Jesus |title=Hver fjerde dansker tror på Jesus |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225060504/http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/artikel/350709:Kirke---tro--Hver-fjerde-dansker-tror-paa-Jesus |archive-date=25 December 2009 |trans-title=One in four Danes believe in Jesus |author=Tobias Stern Johansen |website=Kristeligt Dagblad |date=23 December 2009 |language=da}}</ref>

In its 2024 [[Freedom in the World]] report, [[Freedom House]] rated the country 4 out of 4 for [[religious freedom]].<ref name=FreedomintheWorld2024>[https://freedomhouse.org/country/denmark/freedom-world/2024 Denmark]</ref>

=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Denmark}}
{{Hatnote|Also related: [[Education in the Faroe Islands]] and [[Education in Greenland]]}}
[[File:Københavns universitet lektionskatalog 1537.jpg|thumb|upright|The oldest surviving Danish lecture plan dated 1537 from the [[University of Copenhagen]]]]

All educational programmes in Denmark are regulated by the [[Education Minister of Denmark|Ministry of Education]] and administered by local municipalities. ''[[Danish Folkeskole Education|Folkeskole]]'' covers the entire period of compulsory education, encompassing [[primary school|primary]] and lower [[secondary school|secondary education]].<ref name="edu">{{cite web|title=Overview of the Danish Education System|url=http://eng.uvm.dk/Education/Overview-of-the-Danish-Education-System|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111062215/http://eng.uvm.dk/Education/Overview-of-the-Danish-Education-System|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 January 2012|publisher=Danish Ministry for Children, Education and Gender Equality|access-date=28 April 2016}}</ref> Most children attend ''folkeskole'' for 10 years, from the ages of 6 to 16. There are no final examinations, but pupils can choose to sit an exam when finishing [[ninth grade]] (14–15 years old). The test is obligatory if further education is to be attended. Alternatively pupils can attend an [[independent school]] ({{lang|da|friskole}}), or a private school ({{lang|da|privatskole}}), such as [[Christian school]]s or [[Waldorf education|Waldorf schools]].

Following graduation from compulsory education, there are several continuing educational opportunities; the [[Gymnasium (Denmark)|Gymnasium (STX)]] attaches importance in teaching a mix of humanities and science, [[Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX)]] focuses on scientific subjects and the [[Higher Commercial Examination Programme]] emphasises on subjects in economics. [[Higher Preparatory Examination (HF)]] is similar to ''Gymnasium (STX)'', but is one year shorter. For specific professions, there is [[Vocational secondary education in Denmark|vocational education]], training young people for work in specific [[trade (occupation)|trades]] by a combination of teaching and [[apprenticeship]].

The government records upper secondary school completion rates of 83% and [[tertiary education|tertiary]] enrollment and completion rates of 45% in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Education Policy Outlook: Denmark |url=https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2020/12/education-policy-outlook-in-denmark_c225a424/3288629c-en.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017183723/https://www.oecd.org/edu/EDUCATION%20POLICY%20OUTLOOK%20DENMARK_EN.pdf |archive-date=17 October 2016 |access-date=29 March 2025 |publisher=OECD |page=6}}</ref> All [[university]] and college (tertiary) education in Denmark is free of charges; there are no tuition fees to enrol in courses. Students aged 18 or above may apply for state educational support grants, known as ''[[Student loans in Denmark|Statens Uddannelsesstøtte]] (SU)'', which provides fixed financial support, disbursed monthly.<ref>Rick Noack (4 February 2015). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/04/why-danish-students-are-paid-to-go-to-college/ Why Danish students are paid to go to college] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524062503/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/04/why-danish-students-are-paid-to-go-to-college/ |date=24 May 2015 }}. ''[[The Washington Post]].'' Retrieved 5 February 2015.</ref> Danish universities offer international students a range of opportunities for obtaining an internationally recognised qualification in Denmark. Many programmes may be taught in the [[English language]], the academic [[lingua franca]], in [[bachelor's degree]]s, [[master's degree]]s, [[doctorate]]s and [[student exchange program]]mes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://studyindenmark.dk/ |title=Study in Denmark, official government website on international higher education in Denmark |access-date=8 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510042940/http://studyindenmark.dk/ |archive-date=10 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Health ===
{{See also|Health care in Denmark}}
[[File:Rigshospitalet_20130427_0004F_(8739514693).jpg|thumb|[[Rigshospitalet]] in Copenhagen, the most specialised hospital in Denmark, receiving over 350,000 unique patients a year<ref>{{Cite web |title=Om hospitalet |url=https://www.rigshospitalet.dk/om-hospitalet/Sider/default.aspx |access-date=3 November 2022 |website=www.rigshospitalet.dk |archive-date=3 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103131739/https://www.rigshospitalet.dk/om-hospitalet/Sider/default.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
{{As of|2022}}, Denmark has a [[life expectancy]] of 81.3 years at birth (79.5 for men, 83.2 for women), up from 80.6 years in 2015.<ref name="WHO">{{cite web |date= |title=Life expectancy |url=https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/monitors/health-systems-monitor/countries-hspm/hspm/denmark-2024/introduction |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016022444/http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.688?lang=en |archive-date=16 October 2014 |access-date=28 March 2025 |publisher=World Health Organization}}</ref> This [[List of countries by life expectancy|ranks it]] 26th among 193 nations, behind the other [[Nordic countries]]. The ''National Institute of Public Health'' of the [[University of Southern Denmark]] has calculated 19 major risk factors among Danes that contribute to a lowering of the life expectancy; this includes smoking, alcohol, [[drug abuse]] and [[Sedentary lifestyle|physical inactivity]].<ref name="health report">{{cite book|last=Brønnum-Hansen|first=Knud Juel, Jan Sørensen, Henrik|title=Risk factors and public health in Denmark – Summary report|date=2007|publisher=National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark|location=København|isbn=978-87-7899-123-2|url=http://www.si-folkesundhed.dk/upload/2745_-_risk_factors_and_public_health_in_denmark.pdf|access-date=31 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222143524/http://www.si-folkesundhed.dk/upload/2745_-_risk_factors_and_public_health_in_denmark.pdf|archive-date=22 December 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Although the [[Obesity by country|obesity rate]] is lower than in North America and most other European countries,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2228rank.html |title=Obesity – Adult prevalence |publisher=CIA Factbook |access-date=20 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010185132/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2228rank.html |archive-date=10 October 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the large number of [[overweight]] Danes results in an annual additional consumption in the health care system of [[Danish krone|DKK]] 1,625 million.<ref name="health report" /> In a 2012 study, Denmark had the highest [[List of OECD countries by cancer rate|cancer rate]] of all countries listed by the World Cancer Research Fund International; researchers suggest the reasons are better reporting, but also lifestyle factors like heavy [[List of countries by alcohol consumption per capita|alcohol consumption]], [[Prevalence of tobacco consumption|smoking]] and [[physical inactivity]].<ref>{{cite news|title = Why is Denmark the cancer capital of the world?|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/8277418/Why-is-Denmark-the-cancer-capital-of-the-world.html|work = The Daily Telegraph|location = London|access-date = 4 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035731/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/8277418/Why-is-Denmark-the-cancer-capital-of-the-world.html|archive-date = 4 March 2016|url-status=live|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = Data for cancer frequency by country|url = http://www.wcrf.org/int/cancer-facts-figures/data-cancer-frequency-country|publisher = WCRF|date = 2012|access-date = 4 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151230080530/http://www.wcrf.org/int/cancer-facts-figures/data-cancer-frequency-country|archive-date = 30 December 2015|url-status=live|df = dmy-all}}</ref>

Denmark has a [[universal health care]] system, characterised by being publicly financed through taxes and, for most of the services, run directly by the regional authorities. One of the sources of income was a national health care contribution (''{{lang|da|sundhedsbidrag}}'') (2007–11:8%; '12:7%; '13:6%; '14:5%; '15:4%; '16:3%; '17:2%; '18:1%; '19:0%) but it was phased out from January 2019 in favour of income taxes.<ref name=taxation1 /> This means that most [[health care provider|health care provision]] is free at the point of delivery for all residents. Additionally, roughly two in five have complementary [[Health insurance|private insurance]] to cover services not fully covered by the state, such as [[Physical therapy|physiotherapy]].<ref name=commonwealth /> {{As of|2012}}, Denmark spends 11.2% of its GDP on health care; this is up from 9.8% in 2007 (US$3,512 per capita).<ref name=commonwealth>{{cite web |title=International Profiles of Health Care Systems |url=http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Fund%20Report/2010/Jun/1417_Squires_Intl_Profiles_622.pdf |publisher=The Commonwealth Fund |access-date=31 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228014404/http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Fund%20Report/2010/Jun/1417_Squires_Intl_Profiles_622.pdf |archive-date=28 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This places Denmark above the [[OECD]] average and above the other Nordic countries.<ref name=commonwealth /><ref>{{cite web|title=Country Comparison :: Life Expectancy at Birth|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html|work=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA|access-date=31 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120024054/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html|archive-date=20 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Vulnerable residential areas ===
{{Main|Immigration to Denmark|Vulnerable residential area (Denmark)}}[[File:Janni_Milsted_fra_Mjoelnerparken_i_Koebenhavn_viser_et_projekt_frem,_hvor_beboerne_har_vaeret_med_til_at_plante_krydderurter_og_baerbuske_i_store_kasser_i_de_fire_garde_i_Mjoelnerparken.jpg|thumb|[[Mjølnerparken]] in Copenhagen]]

Certain [[social housing]] districts in Denmark fulfilling specific statistical criteria of relatively low employment, school attendance, relatively low income, a relatively low educational level or relatively many convicted inhabitants are officially listed by the government as [[Vulnerable residential area (Denmark)|vulnerable residential areas]]. In some cases, the majority of the neighbourhoods consist of non-Western immigrants and their descendants. Over the years, several government initiatives have been taken to further integration and counter [[urban decay]] in these neighbourhoods. Major plans to this end were presented in 1994 and 2000 by the governments of [[Poul Nyrup Rasmussen]], in 2004 by the [[Anders Fogh Rasmussen I Cabinet]], in 2010 by the [[Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet]], in 2013 by the [[Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet|Helle Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet]], in 2018 by the [[Lars Løkke Rasmussen III Cabinet]], and in 2021 by the [[Frederiksen I Cabinet|Mette Frederiksen I Cabinet]].<ref name="DenOffentlige">{{cite news |last1=Allentoft |first1=Nick |title=Regeringer har lanceret ghettoplaner seks gange på 25 år |url=https://www.denoffentlige.dk/bloggere/ritzau-1/regeringer-har-lanceret-ghettoplaner-seks-gange-paa-25-aar |access-date=4 February 2023 |work=www.denoffentlige.dk |publisher=DenOffentlige |date=2 January 2018 |language=da |archive-date=5 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165022/https://www.denoffentlige.dk/bloggere/ritzau-1/regeringer-har-lanceret-ghettoplaner-seks-gange-paa-25-aar |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Politisk flertal opfinder helt ny kategori for boligområder i kampen mod parallelsamfund |url=https://politiken.dk/indland/art8247871/Politisk-flertal-opfinder-helt-ny-kategori-for-boligomr%C3%A5der-i-kampen-mod-parallelsamfund |access-date=4 February 2023 |work=Politiken |date=15 June 2021 |language=da-DK |archive-date=5 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165020/https://politiken.dk/indland/art8247871/Politisk-flertal-opfinder-helt-ny-kategori-for-boligomr%C3%A5der-i-kampen-mod-parallelsamfund |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Time">{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5328347/denmark-ghettos-policies/|title=What to Know About Denmark's Plan to End Immigrant "Ghettos"|magazine=Time|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705155619/http://time.com/5328347/denmark-ghettos-policies/|archive-date=5 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Some of the policies have been criticised for undercutting 'equality before law' and for portraying immigrants, especially Muslim immigrants, in a bad light.<ref name="NPR" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/world/2018/7/3/17525960/denmark-children-immigrant-muslim-danish-ghetto|title='No ghettos in 2030': Denmark's controversial plan to get rid of immigrant neighborhoods|work=Vox|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704182731/https://www.vox.com/world/2018/7/3/17525960/denmark-children-immigrant-muslim-danish-ghetto|archive-date=4 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the years 2010–2021, the term "[[ghetto]]" was used officially to designate some or all of the vulnerable areas.<ref name="NPR">{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/03/30/593979013/in-denmark-s-plan-to-rid-country-of-ghettos-some-immigrants-hear-go-home?t=1530707460545|title=In Denmark's Plan To Rid Country Of 'Ghettos,' Some Immigrants Hear 'Go Home'|work=NPR.org|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704212942/https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/03/30/593979013/in-denmark-s-plan-to-rid-country-of-ghettos-some-immigrants-hear-go-home?t=1530707460545|archive-date=4 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The term was considered controversial, however, and removed in 2021.<ref name=Dybvad1>[https://www.thelocal.dk/20190709/denmarks-housing-minister-wants-to-scrap-ghetto-label-for-underprivileged-areas Thelocal.dk. ''Denmark's housing minister wants to scrap 'ghetto' label for underprivileged areas.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211055024/https://www.thelocal.dk/20190709/denmarks-housing-minister-wants-to-scrap-ghetto-label-for-underprivileged-areas |date=11 December 2023 }} Retrieved 5 April 2020</ref><ref name= Dybvad2>[https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/ny-boligminister-vil-undga-ordet-ghetto DR. ''Ny boligminister vil undgå ordet 'ghetto'.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112011714/https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/ny-boligminister-vil-undga-ordet-ghetto |date=12 November 2020 }} (in Danish) Retrieved 6 April 2020</ref><ref name=BL2>[https://bl.dk/politik-og-analyser/temaer/her-er-listen-over-parallelsamfund/ Danmarks Almene Boliger. ''Ghettolisten eller Parallelsamfundslisterne.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208221616/https://bl.dk/politik-og-analyser/temaer/her-er-listen-over-parallelsamfund/ |date=8 December 2023 }} (in Danish) Retrieved 28 April 2022.</ref> Denmark is the only country to have officially used the word 'ghetto' in the 21st century to denote certain residential areas.<ref name="Reuters">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-denmark-immigration-widerimage/in-danish-ghettos-immigrants-feel-stigmatized-and-shut-out-idUSKCN1IU1DS|title=In Danish 'ghettos', immigrants feel stigmatized and shut out|last=Nielson|first=Emil Gjerding|work=U.S.|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704212835/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-denmark-immigration-widerimage/in-danish-ghettos-immigrants-feel-stigmatized-and-shut-out-idUSKCN1IU1DS|archive-date=4 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> From 2021, four different lists are published, depending on the residents' income levels, employment status, education levels, criminal convictions and origin (a statistical criterion based on parents' geographical birthplace and citizenship).<ref name="NYT">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/01/world/europe/denmark-immigrant-ghettos.html|title=In Denmark, Harsh New Laws for Immigrant 'Ghettos'|newspaper=The New York Times |date=2 July 2018 |access-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706100907/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/01/world/europe/denmark-immigrant-ghettos.html|archive-date=6 July 2018|url-status=live|last1=Barry |first1=Ellen |last2=Sorensen |first2=Martin Selsoe }}</ref><ref name="NPR" /><ref name="BBC">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43214596|title=Danes to double penalty for ghetto crime|date=27 February 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718180541/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43214596|archive-date=18 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, there were 19 vulnerable residential areas in Denmark.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nu går indsatserne i parallelsamfundene ind i en afgørende fase |url=https://sm.dk/nyheder/nyhedsarkiv/2023/dec/nu-gaar-indsatserne-i-parallelsamfundene-ind-i-en-afgoerende-fase |website=sm.dk |publisher=Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Senior Citizens |access-date=4 December 2023 |language=da |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204152447/https://sm.dk/nyheder/nyhedsarkiv/2023/dec/nu-gaar-indsatserne-i-parallelsamfundene-ind-i-en-afgoerende-fase |url-status=live }}</ref>