Childcare staffing improves, but minimums remain unmet

Seven municipalities failed to meet Denmark’s minimum staffing ratios for kindergartens in 2025, while four fell short for nurseries, DR reports.

The rules, introduced in 2024, require one adult for every three nursery children and one for every six kindergarten children.

Across municipal and self-governing childcare centres, the average in 2025 was 2.9 children per adult in nurseries and 5.8 in kindergartens, unchanged from 2024. In family day care, the ratio improved from 3.2 children per adult in 2024 to 3 in 2025.

The municipalities below the minimum for kindergartens were Ringsted, Odder, Holstebro, Ikast-Brande, Thisted, Brønderslev and Struer. The number was down from 14 the previous year.

For nurseries, four municipalities fell short in 2025: Bornholm, Holstebro, Ikast-Brande and Thisted, compared with 10 the year before.

Children’s Minister Jacob Mark of the Socialist People’s Party said the municipalities that appear not to comply would be referred to Ankestyrelsen, the municipal supervisory authority. It will assess whether they have broken the law and what action can be taken.

The staffing figures compare the total amount of childcare resources in each municipality with the number of children, counting only pedagogical staff. Rebild and Helsingør were exempt from the minimum staffing law in 2025 as part of a municipal pilot scheme. Statistics Denmark has published figures using a revised calculation since 2023, so they cannot be compared with figures from before that year.