Here is how Denmark compares to the United States in each of the six factors for Happiness:
- GDP: 1.953 v 1.982
- Social Support: 1.243 v 1.182
- Healthy Life Expectancy: 0.777 v 0.628
- Freedom to Make Life Choices: 0.719 v 0.574
- Generosity: 0.188 v 0.220
- Perceptions of Corruption: 0.532 v 0.177
Low corruption and high freedom to make life choices is a phenomenal start for Denmark.
Other Scoring Systems
- FreedomHouse: #6 v #60
- Human Development Index: #6 v #17
- US News Overall: #10 v #6
- US News Social Purpose: #3 v #19
- US News Quality of Life: #2 v #20
- Legatum Prosperity: #1 v #20
It’s not as high as expected in some rankings, but being in the top 10 across the board is nothing to ignore. We also found our highest-ranked country by the Legatum Institute, where it is in the top 10 in every category except healthcare.
Healthcare
Denmark is #19 in Health Care Quality and #11 Overall. #12 in Health Care Security Index.
Healthcare in Denmark is primarily financed through local taxation, with integrated funding and provision of healthcare at the regional level. Registered immigrants and asylum-seekers are also covered.
About half of Danes also use private Danmark insurance for pharmaceuticals and dental procedures.
Climate
Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and is found on the eastern side of the country near Sweden. It holds a significant portion of the population, but other cities like Arhus still have reasonable density.
Copenhagen’s weather is similar to that of other Nordic capitals. It is like a windier Stockholm, with a milder winter and less snow.
Cost of Living
Denmark is similar in cost to the United States.
When we compare Saint Louis, MO, to Copenhagen, we see that it will cost 13% more to live in Copenhagen.
Language
The official language of Denmark is Danish. However, about 86% of Danes also speak English as a second language. Danish students are required to learn English from first grade in public elementary schools.
Denmark is 3rd in English proficiency.
Acceptance of Others
Denmark is less diverse than The United States.
Denmark is near the bottom of “ease of settling in.” Seventy Percent of Danish ex-pats find it hard to make friends. The Danish seem to be focused more on family and less on social life and including immigrants.
Only 8% of Denmark are immigrants and about average in LGBT+ acceptance for Europe.
Moving Feasibility
Becoming a Danish citizen is not easy for Americans. You must marry a Danish citizen, be a student, or get a job offer from a Danish company. There is a list of niche possibilities.
There is an option for creating a “start-up” in Denmark, which would most likely be our only chance of entry.
Conclusion
Much like Switzerland, nothing remarkable would draw me away from America. The Danish seem to like their country the way it is and don’t want foreigners messing that up.
