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Country fact file
- Location: Northwest Europe
- Capital City: Copenhagen
- Population: 5.9 million
- Government: Constitutional monarchy
- Currency: Danish Krone (DKK)
- Main Language: Danish
- Main Religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism
Country Profile
The Kingdom of Denmark is bordered by the Baltic and North Seas in Northern Europe. It comprises the Jutland peninsula and close to 406 islands, 80 of which are populated. A network of bridges and tunnels link the largest islands of Zealand (Sjælland), Funen (Fyn) and Jutland (Jylland). Denmark is connected to its neighbour, Sweden by the Øresund Bridge and the two countries share many cultural and historical elements, as well as having similar languages.
Denmark has a population of around 5.9 million inhabitants and the capital of Copenhagen, situated on Zealand, is the most densely populated part of the country with 1.3 million inhabitants. Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and the current head of state is Queen Margrethe II. Denmark is also a member state of the European Union but opted out of the Euro in favour of its own currency, the Krone. The national Dannebrog flag is the oldest in the world still in use.
Climate Pledge
Denmark aims to be a global frontrunner in sustainable development with a goal of a 70% reduction in emissions by 2030. They also aim for a transition that creates green skilled jobs. It is one of the world’s leading countries when it comes to sustainable development.
Culture
Denmark has been named the ‘world’s happiest country’ by a number of international surveys. This accolade can be attributed to the country’s culture of collective responsibility, gender parity, excellent healthcare and education systems, high levels of parental leave, low crime rates and a love of outdoor pursuits. Like other Scandinavian cultures, equality, fairness and family time is fundamental to Danish society. The Danes claim their high quality of life comes from a concept called ‘hygge’ roughly translated as ‘cosiness’ or ‘fun’. Hygge is where Danish people come together, particularly in winter, to relax with friends and family. Sharing food, drinking and playing their own version of Secret Santa, known as Pakelleg, are the most popular pastimes aimed at producing that ‘cosy’ feeling.
Popular cultural and leisure destinations in Denmark include:
- Tivoli Gardens – A top amusement park, but also home to world-class music and ballet performances
- Legoland – Denmark is the founder of the world’s favourite toy
- The Little Mermaid – Copenhagen’s iconic tourist attraction
- Bakken – the world’s oldest operating amusement park.
Food and Drink
Foods commonly associated with Denmark are bacon and potatoes. However, the new trend for ‘scandi’ fare has placed other Danish dishes at the forefront of world cuisine.
Traditional foods in Denmark include porridge, smørrebrød (open sandwiches made with a variety of toppings) and the national dish stegt flæsk, fried pork in parsley sauce. Danish people have a love of rugbrød (rye bread) which is eaten with jam or cheese for breakfast and as a sandwich at lunch. The Danish koldt bord, closely related to the Swedish smörgåsbord, is a buffet of cold meats, baked herring and salad which is popular at family events and celebrations.
The Danes are a nation of beer drinkers and home-grown brands such as Carlsberg and Tuborg are among the most popular. Danish Akvavit or snaps, a clear, high proof spirit made from potatoes and herbs, is often enjoyed after an evening meal.
Popular Activities
The Danes are fanatical about football which is played in most schools by both boys and girls. In winter, the national sport is handball – said to have originated in Denmark – which is played on indoor courts.
Danish people are passionate about exercise with cycling, sailing, horse-riding and fishing among the most popular weekend activities. Denmark is not normally associated with beaches, however the country has 7,300km of white, sandy coastline and in the summer the resorts are as beautiful as any in the Mediterranean, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The area of Jutland has the most popular beaches, many with campsites, summer cottages and holiday centres within walking distance of the soft sands. The cosy resort of Søndervig Beach in West Jutland is famed for its dramatic sand dunes and laid-back atmosphere, which is popular with surfers and water sports enthusiasts.
Languages
Danish in the national language of Denmark, but English and German are widely spoken by young and old. Danish is very closely related to Swedish and Norwegian (which has the same alphabet as Danish) and it is possible for speakers of all three language to understand each other easily. Nearly 90% of Danes speak English as a second language, and most Danish children start learning the language at age six.
Accents and dialects
Denmark has a number of dialects and accents which are generally a variation of the official language of Danish, with Swedish influences. Bornholmsk is a Danish dialect spoken on the island of the Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, however Bornholm residents also speak Danish and English.
Weather
Denmark has a temperate climate with very cold winters. There are four distinct seasons, Spring (February to May) Summer (June to August) Autumn (September to December) and Winter (December to February). Temperatures in summer can reach a high of 26°C and in winter temperatures can drop to as much as -13°C. A Danish winter usually comes with a large amount of snowfall, with huge snow drifts and icicles dangling from every roof.
Safety and Security
Denmark is considered one of the safest countries in the world and has very low crime rates. However, crime is on the increase in large cities where pickpocketing and gang activity has become more of a problem, so it is best to keep a close eye on your wallet or purse. The good news for female travellers is that sexual equality is a high priority in Denmark, so women should encounter virtually no discrimination or harassment.
System Structure
Denmark has a high standard of education, which is free to all children and young people up to and including university. Schooling is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. The Danish education system is divided into primary and lower secondary schools (folkeskole), followed by an optional two to four years at upper secondary level. Students do not finish formal education in Denmark until the age of 20, when they can choose to enter higher education or the employment market. There are also a number of private international schools in Denmark which offer tuition in English, with the most exclusive schools being in and around Copenhagen. All state and private schools are regulated by the Danish Ministry of Education.
Academic Year
The academic year runs from August to June and is divided into two semesters, Autumn and Spring. Children have a six-week break from June to mid-August and a week in February, October and at Easter and Christmas.
A typical school day in Denmark starts at 8am and finishes at around 3pm, although the first three year groups (ages 6 to 8) usually end their day at 1pm. Most Danish schools run an extensive program of after-school clubs for children with working parents.
Higher Education
There are eight state-funded universities in Denmark and a range of technical and vocational further education colleges. Five of the eight main universities appear in the top 400 universities in the world (QS World University Rankings), with the University of Copenhagen leading the field in 45th place. Danish students must complete qualifying examinations at the end of upper secondary school in order to gain admission into university. Non-Danish students who do not hold a Danish entrance examination certificate can consult the Ministry of Higher Education and Science to see if their qualifications are suitable.
Funding
Higher education in Denmark is free to all students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland. Students from outside the EU can expect to pay an annual tuition fee of around 6,000 to 16,000 euro (£4,205 to £11,215), depending on the course of study. State grants (Statens Uddannelsesstøtte) are available to all Danish students to support living costs, regardless of financial circumstances, however students from outside Denmark are not eligible to apply.
There are a number of scholarships and grants open to international students such as the Danish Innovation Scholarship, and Top Talent.
Courses
Danish universities offer a wide range Bachelors, Masters and PhD programmes in all areas of study. Most courses are taught in Danish, but there are currently over 1,000 degree programmes taught in English and some in German. An undergraduate degree takes around two to three years to complete and a postgraduate Masters around two years in Denmark.
Research
Danish universities place great emphasis on research and work closely with businesses around the world to provide vocational internships and up-to-the minute research tools for their students. Universities at the forefront of research, particularly in the scientific and computing fields, are the University of Copenhagen, the University of Aarhus and the IT University of Copenhagen.
Primary and Secondary Education
Primary and lower secondary schools (folkeskole) provide free education to all Danish children between the ages of 6 and 16. From age 6, pupils follow a core curriculum of mathematics, Danish, science, history, geography, English and German. On completion of folkeskole, children have the option to continue into upper secondary education, which is divided by type of study (academic or vocational).
Upper secondary school takes from two to four years to complete – depending on the course of study – between the ages of 15 and 20. The most common type of upper secondary school is the academically-oriented gymnasium, or students can choose to complete practical training and apprenticeships in vocational schools (erhvervsuddannelse).
Pre-school
Denmark has a very flexible and generous attitude towards nursery and preschool childcare, with up to 80% of the cost being funded by the state. A number of Danish companies also have their own in-house day care centres.
All children under 6 in Denmark are entitled to attend a nursery (vuggestuer) and then preschool (børnehaver) with parents paying up to 25% of fees. There are also many privately run nurseries for children under 3, often found in people’s homes.
Most child care centres in Denmark have specially trained staff specialised in looking after foreign children, with most carers able to speak both English and German.
Working hours
An average working day in Denmark starts between 8am and 8.30am and typically ends at 5pm. Women work around 35 hours while men work an average of 41 hours. Less than 10% of workers do more than 49 hours a week. Denmark’s strong family-centred ethos means employers generally expect their workers to leave on time and weekend meetings are rare. Scheduling business meetings after 4pm and on Saturdays are, therefore, not advisable unless absolutely necessary. Working hours are flexible and employees are able to fit their work around family commitments.
Holidays
Holiday entitlement in Denmark is generous with workers getting five weeks and up to five more days off on top each year. Danes take at least three weeks off during the summer and it is not unusual for some firms to close completely over the summer period (late June to early August). Christmas and Easter are also observed holidays. Employers are expected to pay workers sick pay. Employees do not have to tell their bosses the nature of the illness but a Fit for Work certificate maybe required for both short and long-term absences. The Danish maternity leave system is considered generous by international standards, with parents entitled to receive 52 weeks of paid leave per child.
Public holiday dates
- New Year’s Day: 1st January
- Maundy Thursday: 18th April
- Good Friday: 19th April
- Easter Sunday: 21st April
- Easter Monday: 22nd April
- Prayer Day: 17th May
- Ascension Day: 30th May
- Whit Monday: 10th June
- Constitution Day: 5th June
- Christmas Eve: 24th December
- Christmas Day: 25th December
- 2nd Day of Christmas: 26th December
Visas and eligibility to work
Thanks to freedom of movement with the European Union, the majority of EU citizens are permitted to enter Denmark without extra documentation. For citizens from outside the EU, Denmark offers a points-based Green Card to workers who fulfil certain criteria designed to attract skilled workers into the country. Foreigners with a job offer from a Danish employer can also apply for a work permit under the Positive List scheme. The Pay Limit scheme also allows workers who earn more than DKK375,000 (£35,412) to apply for a residence permit. British workers can apply for visas by submitting applications to the Denmark Visa Application Centre in either London, Manchester or Edinburgh.
Tax
In Denmark the tax year runs from 1st January to 31st December. Denmark has one of the highest income tax rates in Europe which contributes to its social welfare system. As well as high taxes, there is a 25% VAT charge on nearly all goods and services. Upon gaining employment in Denmark, you will need to find out which tax scheme you are required to pay into. In order to do this you will have to register with SKAT (the Central Tax Administration) which are based in most towns and cities. Since January 2011, expats who come to Denmark under the Researcher Tax Scheme (which is aimed at researchers and academics) will pay a flat rate of 26% for the first five years.
Pensions
Pension contributions are deducted from almost everyone’s wages in Denmark. Most public sector workers also contribute to a collective pension which workers’ pay into in addition to their state pension. Anyone who has lived in Denmark for at least 40 years after the age of 15 is entitled to a full state pension which is paid to people over 65. Company pension schemes normally make up around 15% of an employee’s wage which is paid into every month. Company pensions usually also offer insurance covering health, disability, critical illness and death. Private pensions can be arranged with a bank and can be paid out in full or in instalments.
Benefits
In Denmark expats are entitled to unemployment insurance if they are between 18 and 63 and are working in the country. Some benefits are granted immediately but others depend on how long you have worked in Denmark. For more information, visit Unemployment Benefit in Denmark
Disability
The rights of disabled workers have been strongly promoted since 1993, when Denmark adopted an equal opportunity resolution. Although not legally binding, the government urged public and private companies to support disabled workers. The Danish Disability Council, (Det Centrale Handicapraad) is based in Copenhagen and is government-funded. It advises the government on disabled issues and works to promote good working environments.
Niranjan.M says
Really Denmark is one of the peaceful country in the world, rich with its own culture and heritage.
I love the people..
Kingsley says
Wished to take my studies ina denmark