What Worries Denmark? - May 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.
If you felt like Denmark spent most of May waiting for a government, our numbers suggest you were not alone. For the first time in the history of What Worries Denmark, lack of trust in politicians tops the list of the Danes' biggest worries. 16.2% point to it as the country's most important challenge, more than double the 7.2% we saw in April and the highest level we have ever measured. With fieldwork running right through the longest government formation in Danish history, and answers as short as "still no government", the timing is hardly a coincidence.
Climate change tells two stories this month. Asked for their single biggest worry, slightly fewer Danes point to climate than before: 13%, which sends it down to second place. But when people list everything that worries them, climate is still mentioned more than anything else. Almost one in three Danes put it on their list, 32.4% to be exact, the highest level in over a year and a top spot it has now held for six months running.
Zoom out to May last year and the picture gets interesting. Worries about war have eased to 4.6%, the lowest in almost two years, while everyday concerns like inflation, poverty and the economy have quietly moved up. Immigration has also settled back to where it stood a year ago.
And here is the fun part: Denmark got its new government in early June, right after our fieldwork closed. Does trust bounce back as quickly as it dipped? June's numbers will tell.
Follow along here, and if you are curious about what lies beneath the headlines, across age groups, regions and over time, our team is always happy to dig a little deeper with you.
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:
