Danes: Eldercare not a family responsibility

A new study shows that Danes do not think families should be more responsible for elderly care, though younger Danes are more open to the idea

A large majority of Danes don’t think that families should have to shoulder more of the responsibility of caring for the elderly in the future.

According to the Rambøll/Jyllands-Posten poll, 71 percent of Danes don’t think family members will have to care more for the elderly in the future, while 22 percent think they will.

READ MORE: Robot vacuum cleaners fall out of favour with nation's elderly

Twenty-six percent of men responded that families should assume a greater role caring for the elderly, while only 18 percent of woman responded the same.

And while 35 percent of 18-to-25-year-olds also called on families to take on more responsibility, this share dropped as the respondents got older, with only 18 percent of respondents over age 65 agreeing.

Taxes pay for elderly care
Niels Ploug, the head of social statistics for Danmarks Statistik, said there was good reason that few people supported making families take on more responsibility for caring for the elderly.

“People are responding the way that they are because they see eldercare as a service their taxes pay for,” Ploug told Jyllands-Posten. “Danes broadly accept their relatively high tax burden and one of the reasons is because they think they are getting something for their money. For example that the state will take care of their children and their parents if they need it.”

READ MORE: Elderly to be more self-sufficient

With an ageing population, Danish lawmakers have been faced with the dilemma of how to care for an increasing number of elderly while the working-age population shrinks. 

This issue was raised in Jyllands-Posten last week by Professor Kjeld Møller Pedersen from the department of business and economics at the University of Southern Denmark.

Elderly remain a social priority
He argued that political pressure to limit the growth of the public sector will also force Danes to reassess whether the state can afford to continue providing the same level of care, especially with a predicted 30 percent increase in the number of Danes over age 80 in the next decade

Jan Olsen, chief economist with local council lobby group KL, agreed that Denmark’s changing demographics and public opinion about the role of the welfare state mean that the level of eldercare provided by the state in the future may have to change.

“The study confirms that eldercare is and will continue to be a central service in our welfare state. It will be highly prioritised, both by politicians and voters. But the types of services and the extent of care will change character both with the changing level of health of the elderly and their physical abilities change. But there will also be a shift in view about what families can and should take care of.” 




  • The Lynch Interviews: Fergal O’Byrne

    The Lynch Interviews: Fergal O’Byrne

    English-Australian writer and theatre director Stuart Lynch contributes a monthly column titled “The Lynch Interviews”. In this series, he engages with prominent internationals residing in Denmark or Danish individuals with a global perspective. For April, he interviews Irish playwright and writer Fergal O’Byrne, fresh from an acclaimed season of a new English-language play in Copenhagen.

  • Why your talented internationals aren’t moving up the ladder – and what to do about it

    Why your talented internationals aren’t moving up the ladder – and what to do about it

    Many internationals find it difficult to advance in their new workplaces, and some quietly leave. It’s not because they lack talent. In Denmark, careers are shaped not only by skills but also by cultural understanding, informal networks, and social signals. However, internationals may not be familiar with this system or know how to navigate it

  • The international behind Donkey Republic: how a Turkish systems thinker reimagined urban mobility in Denmark

    The international behind Donkey Republic: how a Turkish systems thinker reimagined urban mobility in Denmark

    Erdem Ovacık, co-founder of Donkey Republic, built one of Europe’s leading bike-sharing companies from Denmark — but success as an international entrepreneur hasn’t come easy

  • Denmark hits 66.2 million overnight stays: what’s fueling the rise?

    Denmark hits 66.2 million overnight stays: what’s fueling the rise?

    In 2024, Denmark saw 1.5 million more overnight stays than in 2023, bringing the total to 66.2 million staying in hotels, holiday centers, campsites, and youth hostels. It’s clear: after COVID-19, traveling is now back on the table. But the question is: why are people choosing Denmark?

  • World Cup in Ice Hockey will face off in Herning

    World Cup in Ice Hockey will face off in Herning

    As in 2018, Denmark will co-host the Ice Hockey World Championship. And once again, Herning and Jyske Bank Boxen will be the hosts. Denmark is in Pool B and starts tonight with a match against the USA, which, given the political tensions between the two countries, may be an icy affair.

  • Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    A Wall Street Journal article describes that the US will now begin spying in Greenland. This worries the Danish foreign minister, who wants an explanation from the US’s leading diplomat. Greenlandic politicians think that Trump’s actions increase the sense of insecurity

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.