What Worries Denmark? - August 2026
What keeps Danes up at night? Ipsos’ What Worries Denmark survey diagnoses the biggest social and political problems by asking citizens their opinion on the most worrying issues in the nation. It provides a snapshot of the national mood and serves as a tracker that identifies short or long-term shifts in public feeling.
August brings Denmark back to reality. The summer holidays end, schools reopen, and the news cycle becomes difficult to ignore. Our figures suggest that the worries returned with everyday life.
Immigration strengthens its position as Denmark’s biggest worry, rising from 15.2% in July to 17.0% in August. Climate change falls from 14.6% to 13.0%, but remains second and continues to top the broader Total Worries ranking at 28.6%.
The biggest surprise is in third place. Globalisation, the EU and foreign affairs jump from 4.8% to 7.0%, overtaking inflation. During the same month, Denmark began its extended 11-month military service, including women for the first time, while conscripts prepared for deployment to Greenland amid European and Arctic security concerns.
Inflation tells an almost opposite story. It falls from 7.8% to 6.6% as the country’s single biggest worry but rises from 10.4% to 13.2% in total mentions. Prices may not be the first concern people name, but they clearly remain in the background.
Education also rises sharply, from 9.0% to 12.6% in Total Worries. This coincides with pupils returning to school and Denmark introducing new measures against cheating with AI, including oral defences of written assignments and greater monitoring during exams.
The Biggest Worries chart refers to an individual’s perception of the largest/most top-of-mind challenge Denmark is dealing with today.
The Total Worries chart encompasses the biggest worries and the respondents’ other worries combined.
About the study:
This study surveys a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18+ across various regions of Denmark, with 500 interviews conducted per month. Weighting has been employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the adult population according to the most recent Danish census data.
Discover our study on What Worries the World:
