Denmark

THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK in northern Europe is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. With a per-capita income of $32,200, a well-developed social welfare system, political stability, and a low inequality rate, Danes are assured of a quality of life that some people consider the highest in the world. In this diversified economy, 79 percent of the labor force is engaged are services, and another 17 percent work in small-scale and corporate industry. Four percent of the labor force are involved in agriculture, mostly using high technology. As a result, Denmark is a net exporter of food. Unemployment stands at 6.2 percent.

There is little poverty in Denmark. Only 12 percent of females and 11 percent of males earn an income under 60 percent of the median income, which is how the poverty level is determined. In other nations within the preexpansion European Union, 16 percent of females and 15 percent of males are considered poor when using this criterion. While single-parent families are somewhat more likely to be considered relatively poor, government initiatives that include higher education benefits for single parents have addressed this issue.

Denmark's social net includes pensions, unemployment compensation, cash assistance, and housing subsidies. In general, children do not receive benefits in Demark because it is assumed their parents will care for them. Only Danish nationals and long-term residents are eligible for assistance after one year.

Since Danish women do not as a rule face the barriers in education and employment that women do in most countries, there are no vast disparities in the economic standing of men and women in Denmark. Inequalities do exist, however, among the poorest and richest segments of the population. The poorest 20 percent live off 8.3 percent of resources while the richest 20 percent share 21.3 percent of the wealth. The Gini Index of Human Inequality gives Denmark the relatively low rating of 24.7 percent.

Life expectancy in Denmark is predictably high. Among the population of 5,432,335, the projected life span is 77.62 years. With a life expectancy of 80.03 years, females outlive males by approximately five years. The median life span in Denmark is also high at 39.47 years. Nearly 19 percent of the population are under the age of 14, and over 15 percent have seen a 65th birthday. All Danes have access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. There are 366 physicians per 100,000 residents, and 95 to 100 percent of the population can afford essential drugs.

In 2005, infant mortality in Denmark was estimated at 4.56 deaths per 1,000 live births. That rate has declined from 14 deaths per 1,000 live births in the 1970s. Between 1970 and 2003, mortality among children under the age of 5 fell from 19 deaths per 1,000 to four deaths per 1,000.

Six percent of infants are underweight at birth, but children are not malnourished in Denmark because of the extensive social net provided by the government. Childhood immunization rates are also high: 99 percent of all infants have been immunized against measles and DPT3, and 98 percent have been immunized against polio. Approximately 96 percent of all children from 12 to 23 months have been immunized against both measles and DPT3.

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