Publication - Research and analysis

International review of approaches to tackling child poverty: Denmark

Published: 17 June 2025
From: Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
Directorate: Tackling Child Poverty and Social Justice Directorate
Topic: Children and families, Communities and third sector, Equality and rights, +1 more … Work and skills
ISBN: 9781836917236

A historical review of evidence on Denmark's approach to tackling child poverty, drawing out the key lessons for Scotland.

Supporting documents

Sources

1 Eurostat (2025), at-risk-of-poverty rate for children aged less than 18 years, using 60% of median equivalised income after social transfers threshold in 2024 and Scottish Government, Poverty and child poverty data: single-year estimates 2023/24

2 Luxembourg Income Study (1987-2022), Inequality and Poverty Key Figures, Relative Poverty Rates – Children (60%)

3 Eurostat (2025), at-risk-of-poverty rate for children aged less than 18 years, using 60% of median equivalised income after social transfers threshold in 2024

4 Scottish Government, Poverty and child poverty data: single-year estimates 2023/24

5 Luxembourg Income Study (1987-2022), Inequality and Poverty Key Figures, Relative Poverty Rates – Children (60%)

6 Eurostat (2024) Key figures on European living conditions: 2024 edition

7 Expert Interview with Danish Ministry of Social Affairs.

8 Danish Ministry of Social Affairs (2024) The First Danish Biennial Report on the Implementation of the European Child Guarantee

9 OECD (2016) Inequality in Denmark through the looking glass

10 European Commission (2014) Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage – A Study of National Policies: Denmark

11 IMF, Denmark datasets, GDP current prices and GDP per capita current prices

12 IMF, United Kingdom datasets, GDP current prices and GDP per capita current prices

13 OECD (2024) Revenue Statistics 2024 – Denmark

14 OECD (2024) Revenue Statistics 2024 – United Kingdom

15 Institute for Public Policy Research (2023) Fairer taxes, smarter spending: a recipe for sustainable growth

16 World Bank World Development Indicators, total population – Denmark (SP.POP.TOTL)

17 World Bank World Development Indicators, Population ages 0-14 - % of total population (SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS), population ages 15-64 - % of total population (SP.POP.1564.TO.ZS), population ages 65 and above - % of total population (SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS) and young age dependence ratio - % of working-age population (SP.POP.DPND.YG)

18 Eurostat (2024) Key figures on European living conditions: 2024 edition

19 Scottish Government (2025) Poverty and child poverty data, single-year estimates, Table 1a & Table 4a

20 CPAG (2024) Comparing child poverty using the Luxembourg income study

21 Luxembourg Income Study, Inequality and Poverty Key Figures, Relative Poverty Rates – Children (60%) & Relative Poverty Rates – Total Population (60%), 1987-2022

22 Scottish Government (2025) Poverty and child poverty data, three-year estimates, Table 17a

23 Scottish Government (2025) Poverty and child poverty data, three-year estimates, Table 33a

24 Scottish Government (2025) Poverty and child poverty data, three-year estimates, Table 13a

25 IPPR (2025) Hidden hardships: The immigration system and child poverty

26 Statistics Denmark publishes reports and data on the backgrounds of migrants living in Denmark and uses the categories the categories of Western and non-Western. This categorisation has been the source of criticism, and we use the terminology here only for consistency.

27 European Commission (2022) Denmark: Annual statistics on foreigners report introduces new category

28 Scottish Government, Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2021-24, Gini coefficient before housing costs 2021-24

29 Scottish Government, Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2021-24, Palma ratio before housing costs 2021-24

30 Statistics Denmark, LIGEAI2: Employment rate of men (per cent) and women (per cent), 2008-2023

31 Scottish Government (2024) Scotland’s Labour Market Insights: April 2024

32 Splash-DB (2014) Family policies: Denmark

33 ONS (2025) Employment rates for men and women living with and without dependent children in the UK: Table Q

34 Eurostat (2024) Key figures on European living conditions: 2024 edition

35 Eurostat (2025) Earnings statistics

36 OECD (2024) Taxing Wages – Denmark

37 Statistics Denmark, LIGELI1: Gender pay gap (per cent), 2004-2023

38 Scottish Government (2024) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2024

39 Statistics Denmark, LIGEFI5: Families with children living at home (total) and Families without children living at home (total), difference between men and women (hours), 2008-2023

40 Christoffer Green-Pedersen and Anders Lindbom (2005) Employment and Unemployment in Denmark and Sweden: Success or Failure for the Universal Welfare Model? in Employment 'Miracles': A Critical Comparison of the Dutch, Scandinavian, Swiss, Australian and Irish Cases versus Germany and the US

41 Expert Interview with Ministry of Social Affairs.

42 Trine P. Larsen and Caroline de la Porte (2022) ‘Early Childhood Education and Care in Denmark: A Social Investment Success’ in Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries: Cases, Lessons, Challenges

43 Trine P. Larsen and Caroline de la Porte (2022) ‘Early Childhood Education and Care in Denmark: A Social Investment Success’ in Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries: Cases, Lessons, Challenges

44 Statistics Denmark, personal and family income

45 OECD (2025) Tax and benefit policy descriptions for Denmark 2024

46 OECD family database, Childcare support (PF3.4)

47 Trine P. Larsen and Caroline de la Porte (2022) ‘Early Childhood Education and Care in Denmark: A Social Investment Success’ in Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries: Cases, Lessons, Challenges

48 Splash-DB (2014) Family policies: Denmark

49 Trine P. Larsen and Caroline de la Porte (2022) ‘Early Childhood Education and Care in Denmark: A Social Investment Success’ in Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries: Cases, Lessons, Challenges

50 Trine P. Larsen and Caroline de la Porte (2022) ‘Early Childhood Education and Care in Denmark: A Social Investment Success’ in Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries: Cases, Lessons, Challenges

51 Statistics Denmark, DAGTIL4: Recipients of subsidy to private day-care and day-care of own children

52 Statistics Denmark, BOERN 2: Fulltime adjusted clients in municipal and self-governing family day care and pool scheme institutions by municipality