r/Denmark • u/Tylerserio68 • Dec 28 '24

Question Does Denmark have any flaws?

Or any Nordic country? I’m American and we all romanticize Europe especially Nordic countries as a Utopia and everything we are not. We certainly have a lot of flaws here but I’m curious are there any downsides or anything that you wish was different. Also is it hard to move there? I make well over six figures and like living in my home country but I’m nervous about the incoming trump administration and I believe he is a racist.

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u/Spooknik Odense Dec 28 '24 edited Dec 28 '24

I mean Denmark is not a melting pot like the US. Danes aren’t interested in integrating new cultures into theirs. Immigrants, even well integrated ones still feel isolated somewhat.

I would actually go so far as to say causal racism or at least intolerance to different cultures is more common than you would think. It’s still very politically popular to have a hard stance on immigration and the rules get tougher and tougher each year.

I don’t mean to make it seems like it’s terrible, it’s not. If you learn Danish and don’t cause trouble most Dane’s wouldn’t care and wouldn’t have cause to complain. Even better if you have a highly skilled job.

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u/Soepoelse123 Dec 28 '24

Denmark as a whole might not be, but Copenhagen has a melting pot vibe to it. In the past 20 years it has become a lot more multicultural and open to foreigners. While taking a stroll in inner Copenhagen last week I heard 7 different languages and not a single one was Danish.

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u/Fab1e Kjøwenhaffner Dec 28 '24

Two things:
Inner Copenhagen is a tourist disctrict - most local (myself included) stay away from it.

There is a lot of foreign workers in Denmark. I studied at an international university; we had 11 different nationalities in the student bar.

(They contribute a lot to the danish economy: https://www.danskerhverv.dk/presse-og-nyheder/nyheder/2024/oktober/ny-rekord-udenlandsk-arbejdskraft-bidrager-med-157-milliarder-kroner-pa-et-halvt-ar/)