The proportion of immigrants and immigrant descendants in higher education has increased over the past 10 years, confirms Denmark’s Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet.

While just 20 percent of immigrants from the Middle East and north Africa were pursuing higher education in 2011, that number has risen by 16 percentage points to 36 percent in 2021.

“It is of course fantastic that more people with an immigrant background get an education,” commented the education minister, Kaare Dybvad Bek.

Part of a broader shift
The upward trend is in line with a broader shift in Denmark, which has seen a greater number of people from all backgrounds getting a higher education.

However, the increase has been more dramatic for immigrants and immigrant descendants of non-Western origin than for Danes. Therefore, the difference in these populations’ higher education levels is beginning to even out.

“When it comes to integration in general, we are far from reaching our goal, but we can see that it has generally gone in the right direction in recent years,” said Bek.