Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Denmark
Denmark: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits was 3.1% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Denmark, 1980–2021
Source: OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2021, female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Denmark stood at 3.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.5% on the previous year and down 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Denmark peaked at 4.0% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 1986.
That places Denmark 5th out of 41 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.7% | — |
| 1981 | 2.8% | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 2.8% | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 2.6% | -6.2% |
| 1984 | 2.6% | -2.6% |
| 1985 | 2.5% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 2.9% | +14.5% |
| 1988 | 3.2% | +9.9% |
| 1989 | 3.1% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 3.2% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 3.3% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 3.3% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 3.6% | +6.1% |
| 1994 | 3.8% | +7.6% |
| 1995 | 3.8% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 3.7% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 3.6% | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 3.5% | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 3.5% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 3.4% | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 3.6% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 3.7% | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 3.5% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 3.4% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 3.7% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 4.0% | +9.0% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 3.9% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 3.8% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 3.7% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 3.6% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 3.5% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 3.4% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 3.4% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 3.3% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 3.4% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 3.1% | -7.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.8% | 2.5% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.5% | 3.2% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.6% | 3.4% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 3.3% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More work & labour data for Denmark
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1261 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1196 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1326 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.51 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.3351 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,829 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 485.03 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,899 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,964 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,863 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Denmark?
- Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Denmark was 3.1% in 2021, according to OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 2009.
- What is the lowest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 1986.
- How does Denmark rank for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- Denmark ranks 5th out of 41 countries with data for 2021.
- Is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Public social expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. Includes both in-cash and in-kind benefits in family programs.