A record number of Danish women increased the level of investment risk in their pension savings during the first half of 2026, with women also overtaking men in choosing higher-risk investment profiles for the first time, according to figures from Sampension.

Analysis of Sampension’s female customers found that in the first half of 2026, 94.1 per cent of all investment profile changes were to a higher-risk profile – the highest proportion ever recorded.

This was also higher than among male customers, where 90.9 per cent of profile changes were to higher-risk investments during the same period. It is the first time that the proportion of higher-risk profile changes has been greater among female customers than male customers.

Sampension head of advisory services, Helle Dalsgaard, commented: "Historically, women have generally taken a somewhat more cautious approach to investing than men. But there appears to be a shift towards a greater appetite for risk among women.

“The fact that we have seen a record-high share of women's investment profile changes moving to higher risk this year is noteworthy.”

Dalsgaard said increasing investment risk could strengthen women's pension savings over the long term, as higher-risk investment profiles generally offer the prospect of greater expected returns over time, although these are not guaranteed and come with greater fluctuations in returns.

She said investment risk should be considered in the context of an individual's investment horizon and overall financial position, noting that taking on greater risk could lead to higher expected returns over time and help strengthen pension savings.

"Women, in particular, have good reason to pay attention to this. Although they are catching up, there is still a gender gap in risk appetite, which contributes to women generally having smaller pension savings than men," Dalsgaard added.

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