Gender equality

When talking about gender equality, the subject of pay often comes up – or rather equal pay. In 2024, the female population earned an average of 12.9 per cent less than the male population. The pay gap has been calculated as the difference between men and women’s earnings, in proportion to men’s earnings.

The pay gap varies depending on the work function performed. Here you can see the pay gap for general practitioners and waiters. For other selected work functions, the pay gap was 15.0 per cent for authors; 10.2 per cent for real estate agents and property managers; 1.3 per cent for cashiers and -1.9 per cent for physiotherapists and relaxation therapists.

Note that various factors can influence the pay gap, e.g. men and women perform different jobs, have different professional seniority and education.

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of gender pay gap (LIGELI1)

Gender pay gap for selected work functions

Unit: Per cent

	Generalist medical practitioners	Waiters
Gender pay gap (per cent)
2024	9.0	7.0

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of gender pay gap (LIGELI2)

In 2024, couples where the woman earns more than the man accounted for 29.2 per cent of all relationships (with an average age between 20 and 64 years). This share has increased by 10.2 percentage points since 1987.

In 2024, the pension assets of 60-69-year-old men were on average 16 per cent higher than those of women of the same age. This gap has been calculated as the difference between men and women’s pension assets, in proportion to men’s pension assets, and it has steadily narrowed since 2014 where it was 24 per cent.

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of income in relationships (LIGEII4)

Pension assets gap for 60-69-year-olds

	2024
60-69 years
Gender pension gap (per cent)	16

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of value of median pension assets for persons (LIGEII8)

Of parents who had children under 6 years living with them in 2024, the men worked on average 2.8 hours more per week than the women.

On August 2, 2022, a new parental leave act came into effect. It gives equal rights to men and women giving both parents 11 weeks each of earmarked parental leave and an additional 13 weeks each to be freely divided between the parents. The parents of 2021 were the last to take parental leave under the old rules. Compared to the 2021 parents, new fathers in 2024 took 37.6 more days of leave, while mothers took 38.1 fewer days. As a result, fathers in 2024 took about one fourth of the total parental leave.

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator on working hours for employed salary earners (average) (LIGEFI5)

Average no. of parental leave days of mothers and fathers with newborn babies

Unit: Days

	2021	2024
Both mother and father are entitled to parental leave
Mother - days on parental leave (benefits) after birth on average	278.2	240.1
Father - days on parental leave (benefits) after birth on average	39.1	76.7

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Cohabiting parents leave before birth and in the child's first year of life (BARSEL05)

 

Of employees who had children under 6 years living with them in 2024, approximately twice as many mothers as fathers were working part-time (less than 32 hours per week).

79.2 per cent of all men and 75.6 per cent of all women were in employment - either part-time or full-time.

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator on employed salary earners (LIGEAI8)

Employment rate for men and women, 16-64 years

	Men (per cent)	Women (per cent)
Employment rate
2024	79.2	75.6

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of activity and employment rates (16-64 år) (LIGEAI2)

In the 30-34-year-old population, more women than men had long-cycle higher education as their highest educational attainment in 2025. This trend has been prominent since 2003.

In 2025, more than twice as many boys as girls received special needs education in basic school.

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator on educational attainment (LIGEUI0)

Boys and girls receiving special needs education in basic school

	Boys (per cent)	Girls (per cent)
2025	11.5	4.9

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator on people with special needs education in basic school (LIGEUI4)

In 2025, approximately 14,600 women and 15,800 men were victims of violence in Denmark. This corresponds to 0.5 per cent of both the female and male population.

However, it is much more often men than women who commit acts of violence. In 2025, male offenders accounted for five in six convictions for violence.

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Victims of offenses against the person (LIGEPB1)

 

Men and women convicted of violence

Unit: Number

	Men	Women
CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, TOTAL
2025	5,256	810

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Convictions for offenses against the person (LIGEPB4)

The life expectancy for women born in 1974-1975 is 5.7 years longer than that of men born in the same period (76.8 and 71.1 years respectively) While it is anticipated that life expectancy will be longer for the new generations, the life expectancy gap is expected to narrow. For girls and boys born 50 years later, in 2024-2025, the gap is 3.6 years.

In 2024, women visited their general practitioner more often than men did. On average, men were in contact with medical professionals 5.8 times, while women were in contact with medical professionals 8.5 times.

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of life expectancy for new born babies (LIGEHI1)

Men and women’s consultations with general practitioners

	Men (per person)	Women (per person)
Age, total
2025	5.7	8.3

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of consultation with the general practitioner (LIGEHI6)

After the Danish parliamentary elections in 2026, 48 per cent of the elected candidates were women, which is historically the closest the Danish Parliament has come to an equal candidate distribution between the sexes. Overall, women’s share of both elected and nominated candidates has increased steadily since 1943, when women accounted for 1.4 per cent of elected candidates.

In 2023, women accounted for 21 per cent of the members of Danish boards of directors and 16 per cent of the executive boards – a level that has remained fairly constant since 2014.

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of nominated and elected candidates to the parliament (LIGEDI0)

Share of women on boards of directors and executive boards

	2024
Women (per cent)
Board members	21
Managers	16

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of board members and managers (LIGEDI11)

In 2024, almost twice as many women as men borrowed materials from the Danish public libraries. The figures in the chart cover both borrowers of physical materials in the libraries (books, DVDs, etc.) as well as of digital materials from eReolen.

In 2023, 55.2 per cent of the recipients of support for cultural activities from the Ministry of Culture were men and 44.8 per cent were women. The women’s share has increased since 2010 when it was at 38.5 per cent.

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Lending and borrowers (IBIB1A)

Men and women’s shares of the Ministry of Culture’s support for cultural activities

	Men (per cent)	Women (per cent)
2023	55.2	44.8

In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data on Gender equality indicator of personal recipients of payments by the Min. of Cult (LIGEKI1)

How equal are men and women in the EU? In Eurostat’s database, under “Equality and non-discrimination,” you can compare the living conditions of European men and women across seven indicators.
Visit the “Equality and non-discrimination” database

Similarly, the European Institute for Gender Equality, EIGEEIGE, each year publishes a "Gender Equality Index", which compares European men and women on parameters such as power (political and social), time (for example spent on caring for children) and knowledge.
Visit the EIGE "Gender Equality Index"
Explore EIGE’s database

Danish KVINFO is a knowledge centre for gender and equality and makes surveys on sexism, sexual harassment and discriminatory practices based on gender.
Visit KVINFO

Nordic Information on Gender, NIKK, is a Nordic cooperation body under the Nordic Council of Ministers. They gather knowledge and communicate facts and research in the area of gender equality and equal rights for LGBTI people with a Nordic and cross-sectorial perspective.
Visit NIKK

In the OECD, "The OECD Gender Initiative" collects data on gender equality in education, employment and entrepreneurship, in both OECD and non-OECD countries.
Visit "The OECD Gender Initiative"

Like Eurostat, The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, UNECE, collects statistics on gender equality in Europe. The gender statistics cover areas such as crime and violence, public life and decision making, as well as employment and finances.
Visit the UNECE’s gender statistics

On the website of the Ministry of Digital Government and Gender Equality, you can see, for example, the political deals made and the initiatives launched in the gender equality area.
Visit the Ministry of Digital Government and Gender Equality