The number of Danish pensioners in employment hit a “record high” in 2024, showing an increase of 18 per cent (approximately 13,400 pensioners) compared to 2023, figures from Sampension have revealed.

The research showed that 87,691 Danes were both employed and receiving a state pension in December 2024, the highest level since January 2010.

In addition to this, the figures for 2024 showed a 34 per cent rise (22,500 individuals) in the number of working pensioners compared to December 2022.

Commenting on the figures, Sampension senior adviser, Helle Dalsgaard, said: "The number of working pensioners skyrocketed to new impressive heights in 2024, and thus the group of Danes who work alongside the state pension has grown sharply over the past two years.

“This is a remarkable development, which must be seen not least in light of the fact that it no longer costs on the state pension to be employed as a pensioner.

“This simply means that it is more financially worthwhile to work in retirement, which we see that significantly more people choose to do.”

On 1 June 2023, the Danish Parliament removed the rule that reduced a person’s state pension due to own earned income, with retroactive effect from 1 January 2023.

Dalsgaard said that given this, there is a reason to expect Denmark will continue to see an increase in pensioners occupying the employment statistics in the future, as many Danes who are older want to continue working if it’s possible and their health allows it.

She added that alongside this in the coming years, several initiatives are underway to increase the benefits of staying longer in the labour market.

“And as we have seen with the boom in the number of working pensioners in the wake of the abolition of the set-off in the state pension, the financial carrots of later retirement appeal to the Danes on a large scale,” she said.

In addition to this, Dalsgaard said that from 2026-2030, an extra employment deduction will be introduced for employed seniors who have two years or less until retirement age.

It has also been politically agreed that the tax-free gain given to people who work in the first and second year after the state pension age will be increased in 2026 and again in 2029. This has not yet been passed into law.

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