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Living and working in Denmark

Denmark offers a superior work-life balance, enabling you to prioritise the things that matter – from excellent career opportunities to leisure and family time.
While your career may lead you to Denmark, we understand that it takes a whole lot more for you to feel at home. Luckily, Denmark is one of the best countries for a work-life balance, according to OECD’s Better Life Index among others studies.

In Denmark, we believe in the multi-faceted but whole human being. Sure, career and business opportunities are central to a good lifestyle. However, life is also about family, friends, leisure and your very own private time – values which weave the fabric of a life in Denmark.

Denmark is an exceptionally well-functioning and family-friendly place to live, and this for many reasons. Here are five essential starting points for further explore:

  1. Danish lifestyle
  2. Buzzing city life and beautiful countrysides
  3. Danish society and its wellbeing
  4. The Danish working culture
  5. Work-life balance

1. The Danish lifestyle

Based on various international studies, Danes are some of the happiest and most satisfied people in the world. This apparent satisfaction with life is often credited to 'soft factors' – culture, leisure time and family life.

We are well educated and informed - but we also enjoy informality, which is often experienced in the laidback and open style of communication, even in an office environment.

International schools can be found all over Denmark, ensuring the continued, high-level education of your children. A number of schools offer International Business (IB) programmes.

Teaching is carried out in either English, French or German, whilst still teaching Danish as a mandatory subject.

2. Buzzing city life and beautiful countryside

Distances are short, which makes it possible to combine buzzing urban life with the serenity of the beautiful Danish countryside and seaside. And, your children can roam freely and safely whether walking city streets or skipping along woodland paths.

Green forests are plentiful and you will never be more than 50 kilometres from the sea. Nature is an inherent part of Danish living. With over 7000 kilometres of coastline, it is no wonder why beach holidays are a popular part of Danish culture.

Staying healthy is easy, in nature as well as the cities. In Denmark, pulsating city life goes hand in hand with sustainable thinking and living. So, get ready, because soon you will be joining in with the Danes, riding your bicycle to work and washing off the day with a swim in a people-packed harbour.

3. The Danish welfare society

Denmark’s level of taxation is a result of our work-life balance, democracy and high standards for education and healthcare. These are factors that ensure a well-functioning welfare society.

You will benefit from a number of common goods, as do all citizens and people working in Denmark. Everyone benefits from:

  • free education and healthcare
  • a well-maintained cycling and driving infrastructure
  • an extensive and stable public transport system
  • multiple free cultural activities
  • superb recreational facilities including parks and public spaces which enhance the general quality of life.

4. The Danish work culture

Flat management structures, teamwork and work-life balance are characteristics of the Danish working environment, for example, all employees and managers may address each other by their first names. And, most decisions are discussed in forums where all employees have an equal say.

Furthermore, the Danes have the most productive and diligent workforces in Europe, according to the European Investment Bank’s Investment Report. This is very much linked to the Danish job mentality and work culture where employees experience a high degree of autonomy and empowerment at work, resulting in very responsible and conscientious employees, with a high level of job satisfaction.

5. Work-life balance

Work-life balance is a cornerstone of Danish business culture and life, thus making Denmark one of the world's most family-friendly places to live in.

The employee demand for flexible work hours is due to the fact that the majority of both men and women equally work.

Constitutionally, all workers are entitled to a yearly 5 weeks vacation. Therefore, promoting dedicated family time, as well as allocating more flexible opportunities to visit relatives abroad, for example.

Great reasons to come to Denmark:

Denmark consistently maintain top rankings in international quality of life studies, such as World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index, the World Bank’s Governance Index and the Social Progress Index. We would love to welcome you, and here is just a handful of reasons why you should come:

  • We are among the happiest and most satisfied people on earth. On a scale from 0 to 10, Danes give their life satisfaction a 7.5 grade on average, which is higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
  • Everyone benefits from a well-functioning welfare system, which provides free education and healthcare among other things.
  • Short distances make it easy to get around and explore Denmark’s buzzing cities as well as beautiful forests and stunning coastline.
  • Danes have the shortest working week in the world, with the average expat working 37 hours. Still, we are among the most productive and hardworking workforces in Europe.
  • Hours are flexible and all workers are statutorily entitled to 5 weeks vacation each year, making space for family and leisure time.

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