Denmark good for families and working, but less so for social life

The latest Expat Insider study paints a steady picture of Denmark, but suggests that internationals in Sweden are increasingly dissatisfied

We’d forget where we’re living if it wasn’t for Expat Insider.

Their surveys help to remind us how much better our lives would have been had we not moved to Denmark – or vice-versa of course.

Their latest survey, based on the answers of 18,000 respondents in 420 cities worldwide, reveals that while expats like working in the Nordic countries, they don’t enjoy ‘local life’.

None of the four countries ranked highly out of the 68 countries surveyed, with Finland leading the way as the 23rd best country for expats, ahead of Norway (25), Denmark (35) and Sweden (46).

Good for work and families
Nevertheless, when it comes to enjoying their working life, Denmark can hold its head up high. For 2018, it ranked sixth – its best ever result.

Some 83 percent said they were happy with their work-life balance – 22 percentage points better than the global average. Some 65 percent are satisfied with their job security (59 globally), 54 percent happy with their career prospects (55) and 9 percent are completely satisfied (15).

And Denmark remains a good country to bring up children, ranking as the fourth best for family life abroad. Some 71 percent said they were happy with available childcare options (61), 98 percent rate their children’s safety positively (81) and 89 percent are happy with their health (76) – with 62 percent saying they could not be happier (36).

But Denmark scores badly for the cost of living (64th) and the ease of settling in (64th), with only 48 percent saying they feel at home (64), 70 percent struggling to learn the local language (45) and 64 percent finding it difficult to make local friends (36).

Finland faring well, Sweden not so
Elsewhere in the region, Finland was rated the best for expat families and seventh for quality of life, but fared badly for the ease of settling in, the cost of living, and personal finance.

Norway ranked fourth for job satisfaction, and perhaps it would have topped the rankings had it not been rated poorly for career prospects. It also fared badly for personal finance (49) and cost of living (66).

And it was mostly bad news for Sweden, which has fallen 24 places in the overall rankings from 22nd last year. Across the board it saw its approval ratings plummet, with its rankings for quality of life (from 14 to 28), working abroad (from top 10 to 24), and ease of settling in (49 to 63) all faring badly.

Overall, the top ten countries for expats were: Bahrain, Taiwan, Ecuador, Mexico, Singapore, Portugal, Costa Rica, Spain, Colombia, and the Czech Republic.

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

Connect club

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

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs