Education at a Glance 2025: Denmark
Table of contents
This country note provides an overview of the key characteristics of the education system in Denmark based on data from Education at a Glance 2025. In line with this year’s thematic focus, it emphasises tertiary education while also covering other parts of the education system. The data in this note are provided for the latest available year. Readers interested in the reference years for the data should refer to the corresponding tables in Education at a Glance 2025.
Educational inequalities persist across generations. In all countries with available data, young adults (25-34 year-olds) are significantly more likely to attain a tertiary qualification if their parents have also done so. In Denmark, 70% of 25-34 year-olds with at least one tertiary-educated parent have also attained a tertiary qualification, compared to only 49% among those whose parents did not complete upper secondary education. This tertiary-attainment gap of 21 percentage points is one of the smallest among OECD countries gap of 44 percentage points. On the other hand, the tertiary attainment gap between young adults with a tertiary qualification whose parents completed upper secondary education and those whose parents completed tertiary education is 25 percentage points, which is close to the OECD average of 26 percentage points (Figure 1).
Survey of Adult Skills, in per cent
Note: The percentage in parentheses represents the share of tertiary-educated parents.
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table A1.4 (available on line).
The share of young adults (25-34 year-olds) without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, reaching an average of 13%. This trend also continues in Denmark, where the share fell from 18% to 15% between 2019 and 2024.
Individuals with greater educational attainment generally face a lower risk of unemployment and earn higher wages. Completing upper secondary education is particularly important in reducing the risk of unemployment. On average across the OECD, 12.9% of economically active young adults (25-34 year-olds) without an upper secondary qualification are unemployed, compared to 6.9% of those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment. Those who go on to gain a tertiary qualification see a relatively smaller further reduction in unemployment, with 4.9% of tertiary-educated young adults unemployed on average across the OECD. This pattern is different in Denmark: 11.5% of young adults without an upper secondary qualification are unemployed, compared to 6.3% of those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment and 6.9% of those with tertiary attainment (Figure 2).
In per cent
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table A3.5.
On average, individuals with a master’s or equivalent degree have significantly higher employment rates and earnings than those with a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. However, the share of young adults (25-34 year-olds) attaining a master’s or equivalent qualification varies widely across OECD countries, ranging from 1% to 39% in 2024. In Denmark, 20% of 25-34 year-olds hold a master’s or equivalent degree, which is above the OECD average of 16%. This represents a small increase since 2019, when the share was 19%.
The average wage gap between individuals (25-64 year-olds) with and without upper secondary educational attainment is relatively modest across OECD countries. On average across the OECD, workers without upper secondary qualifications earn on average 17% less than those who have completed upper secondary education, while workers with tertiary attainment earn 54% more than those with upper secondary attainment. In Denmark, the wage gap between workers with and without upper secondary attainment is smaller than the OECD average, at 9%. The gap between those with upper secondary and tertiary attainment is also smaller than the OECD average, at 22%. This suggests a generally more compressed wage distribution by educational attainment in Denmark, which may indicate lower relative returns to education but also a lower level of income inequality compared to the OECD average.
In most OECD countries, a significant share of adults have low levels of literacy proficiency, defined as at or below Level 1 (on a scale of 0-5) in the OECD Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Individuals at this level can only understand very short texts with minimal distracting information. In Denmark, 18% of 25-64 year-olds have literacy skills at or below Level 1, which is below the OECD average of 27%.
Educational attainment and skills are closely linked, although the strength of this relationship varies across countries. In Denmark, tertiary-educated adults score, on average, 30 points higher in literacy proficiency than those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment in the Survey of Adult Skills. This gap is smaller than the OECD average difference of 34 points.
Average literacy scores fell between Cycle 1 (2012-15) and Cycle 2 (2023) of the Survey of Adult Skills1. On average across OECD countries, the fall among adults with tertiary attainment was 9 score points, smaller than the average drop of 19 score points among adults without upper secondary qualifications. In Denmark, average literacy scores for adults with tertiary attainment increased by 6 points (from 293 to 299), while the score for adults without upper secondary attainment decreased by 6 points (from 235 to 229).
In Denmark, as in all OECD countries, adults with better literacy skills are more likely to participate in education and training. In 2023, 78% of adults (25-64 year-olds) with high literacy proficiency (i.e. at or above Level 4) in the Survey of Adult Skills participated in formal and/or non-formal education and training in the last year, compared to just 23% of those with proficiency at or below Level 1.
Education systems must adapt to changes in the number of children by expanding or reducing provision accordingly. In many countries, the population of children aged 0-4 changed significantly between 2013 and 2023 and is projected to change further by 2033. Denmark experienced virtually no change in the number 0-4 year-olds, and is projected to see an increase of 4% between 2023 and 2033.
The share of students in lower secondary education who are at least two years older than the expected age for their grade varies widely across OECD countries, ranging from virtually none in some countries to over 10% in others. In Denmark, the share is at the lower end of the OECD distribution in 2023, at 0.4%.
Bachelor’s or equivalent programmes are the main entry point into tertiary education in most OECD countries, with an average of 78% of those starting tertiary education for the first time enrolling in such programmes. In Denmark, the share is lower at 72%.
Women make up the majority of first-time entrants to tertiary education in most OECD countries. In Denmark, they accounted for 55% of first-time entrants in 2023, up from 54% in 2013. Across the OECD, women make up 54% of new entrants on average, the same share as in 2013.
Across the OECD, the two most popular broad fields of study are science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and business, administration, and law, each accounting for 23% of graduates from bachelor’s or equivalent programmes. They are closely followed by the broad field of arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information, at 22% of graduates. In Denmark, 21% of bachelor’s degree students graduate from a STEM field, 22% from business, administration and law, and 17% from arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information.
In many countries, it is common for new entrants to bachelor’s programmes to take at least one gap year between the end of their upper secondary education and the start of their tertiary education. In Denmark, 55% of new entrants do so, above the OECD average of 44%.
Completion rates reflect the share of new entrants to bachelor’s programmes who successfully obtain a tertiary degree within specified timeframes. These rates remain low in most OECD countries. In Denmark, 53% of new entrants complete their bachelor’s degree within the theoretical duration of the programme. This rises to 67% one year after the expected end date, and to 70% three years after. In comparison, the OECD average completion rate is 43% within the theoretical duration, increasing to 59% after an additional year and 70% after three years (Figure 3).
In per cent
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table B5.1.
In all countries, women starting bachelor’s programmes are more likely than their male peers to successfully complete their tertiary studies within the three years after the theoretical end of their programme. In Denmark, the gender gap is 5 percentage points (72% for women compared to 67% for men), which is smaller than the OECD average of 12 percentage points.
Completion rates vary by field of study. On average across the OECD, only 58% of new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in STEM fields have graduated at that level in the same field within three years after the expected end of their studies. Completion rates in the field of health and welfare are significantly higher, at 74%. In Denmark, STEM completion rates are 63%, lower than those for health and welfare, at 71%.
Students who do not complete their tertiary education may drop out at various stages. High dropout rates in the first year can signal a mismatch between student expectations and the content or demands of their programmes, possibly reflecting a lack of career guidance for prospective students or insufficient support for new entrants. In Denmark, the share of first-time entrants in bachelor’s programmes who drop out after the first year is higher than the OECD average, at 16% (compared to 13%).
International student mobility in tertiary education continues to rise across the OECD, with some countries experiencing substantial growth in the share of international students between 2018 and 2023. On average, 7.4% of all tertiary students across the OECD were international or foreign students, compared to 6% in 2018. Denmark was one of the few countries with no increase, with the share decreasing from 10.7% to 9.9% (Figure 4).
In per cent
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table B4.3.
There are significant disparities in how much governments spend each year in education across OECD, partner and accession countries. Denmark spends USD 15 027 per student from primary to post-secondary non-tertiary levels, placing it at the upper end of the country range, which spans from less than USD 2 000 to more than USD 27 000 (Figure 5).
In equivalent USD converted using PPPs, expenditure on educational institutions
Note: Expenditure at tertiary level includes R&D. Expenditure per student in early childhood education is based on headcounts rather than full-time equivalent students. Expenditure at tertiary level for Luxembourg (USD 54 384) is not shown in the figure.
1. Year of reference differs from 2022.
2. Primary includes pre-primary education.
3. Includes payments by households outside educational institutions.
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table C1.1 and Table C1.2.
As in most other countries, government expenditure in Denmark is higher at tertiary level, including research and development (R&D), than at primary to post-secondary non-tertiary levels. Government expenditure in Denmark amounts to USD 24 113 per tertiary student compared to the OECD average of USD 15 102.
A large part of the disparity in expenditure per student across OECD, partner and accession countries reflects differences in national income levels. When expenditure is measured as a share of GDP, cross-country differences tend to be smaller, ranging from 2.5% of GDP to 6.9%. In Denmark, education investment in primary to tertiary education stands at 5.3% of GDP, which is above the OECD average of 4.7% by this measure.
Governments are the primary source of education funding in all OECD countries, especially for the levels covered by compulsory education. In Denmark, governments provide 93.4% of total funding for primary, secondary, and post-secondary non-tertiary education (before transfers to the private sector), which is above the OECD average of 90.1%. At the pre-primary and tertiary levels, private funding often plays a larger role. In Denmark, 75.9% of pre-primary education funding (after transfers) and 81.2% of tertiary education funding (before transfers) come from public sources, compared to OECD averages of 85.6% and 71.9%, respectively.
Some countries impose significantly higher tuition fees on foreign students at master’s level in public institutions, including Denmark. In Denmark, average annual tuition fees for foreign students2 at master’s level are USD 14 000 on average, while there are no tuition fees for national students.
High teacher turnover can place additional pressure on recruitment, while very low turnover may limit the renewal of the teaching workforce. In most countries with available data, between 1% and 3% of teachers retire each year. However, the share of teachers leaving the profession for reasons other than retirement varies more widely, ranging from almost none in some countries to nearly 10% in others. Denmark is among the countries with high turnover, with 1.8% of teachers retiring and 10% resigning each year (Figure 6).
In per cent, full-time and part-time, public institutions
1. Academic year 2021/22 for Denmark, England (UK), France and New Zealand.
2. Only primary education in Argentina. Excluding pre-primary education in Greece and Ireland. Excluding upper secondary education in Denmark and Israel. Excluding upper secondary vocational education in the Netherlands.
3. Includes non-fully qualified teachers.
4. Includes teachers who left the profession because they were appointed to other positions in the education sector.
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table D8.4.
Attracting second-career teachers can help alleviate teacher shortages while bringing individuals with a broader range of experience into the profession. To support this, 16 out of 28 countries with available data (including Denmark) offer dedicated alternative pathways into teaching for individuals changing careers.
Competitive salaries can make the teaching profession more attractive, particularly since teachers in many countries earn less than other tertiary-educated workers. In Denmark, the actual salaries of primary teachers are 18% lower than those of tertiary-educated, full-time, full year workers, compared to an average of 17% lower across the OECD. However, increasing teacher salaries can be financially challenging, as staff costs make up the largest share of education expenditure (Figure 7).
Ratio of salaries to the earnings of full-time, full-year workers aged 25-64
Note: Data refer to the ratio of annual average salaries (including bonuses and allowances) of teachers and school heads in public institutions relative to the earnings of workers with similar educational attainment (weighted average) and to the earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education. Earnings of workers with similar educational attainment to teachers are weighted by the distribution of teachers (or school heads) by qualification level (see Tables X2.10 and X2.11). As values close to one may be difficult to identify in the figure, please refer to the source table.
1. Data on earnings for full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education refer to the whole country.
2. Year of reference for salaries of teachers differs from 2024.
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table D3.2.
The amount of compulsory instruction time affects teacher salary costs as it influences the number of teachers needed, combined with other factors such as class size and teaching time of teachers. In Denmark, students receive 1 000 hours of compulsory instruction per year in primary education and 1 200 hours in lower secondary education. This is above the OECD average of 804 hours in primary and 909 hours in lower secondary education.
School holidays in primary education last 10.6 weeks per year in Denmark (all breaks combined), compared to 13.5 weeks across the OECD.
In Denmark, 35% of instruction time in primary education is allocated to mathematics and reading, writing and literature, falling to 30% in lower secondary education. In comparison, the OECD average is for 41% of instruction time in primary education and 27% in lower secondary education to be devoted to these core subjects.
Across the OECD, the average class size at primary level has not changed since 2013, at 20.6 students. In Denmark, the average class size in primary education in 2023 was 19.1 students, down by 2 since 2013.
Countries use a range of admission systems to tertiary public education institutions. These vary as to whether admission is open or selective, and whether applications are submitted directly to institutions or to a central body. In Denmark, admission is selective. Applicants submit their applications to a central body.
For more information on Education at a Glance 2025 and to access the full set of indicators, see: https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en.
For more information on the methodology used during the data collection for each indicator, the references to the sources and the specific notes for each country, see Education at a Glance 2025: Sources, Methodologies and Technical Notes, https://doi.org/10.1787/fcfaf2d1-en.
For general information on the methodology, please refer to the OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264304444-en.
Updated data can be found on line at http://data-explorer.oecd.org/ and by following the StatLinks in the publication.
Explore, compare and visualise more data and analysis using the Education GPS: https://gpseducation.oecd.org/.
Questions can be directed to the Education at a Glance team at the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills: EDU.EAG@oecd.org.
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Member countries of the OECD.
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