Daily Northern

Nordic News, Every Day

Menu

Denmark’s “inactive” youth struggle with education and mental health, new analysis reveals

Wednesday 10th 2024 on 21:06 in  
Denmark

More than 60,000 young people in Denmark are neither employed nor in education. This situation may evoke images of youth taking a gap year to explore the beaches of Bali or the jungles of Costa Rica. However, a new analysis by Denmark’s Statistics reveals a more somber and nuanced picture.

The so-called “inactive” young people aged 16-24 are not a homogeneous group. Many have done so poorly in school that they failed Danish and mathematics, and generally have poorer mental health than their peers.

A significant factor is whether these inactive young people have completed secondary education. Those who only remain inactive for a short period typically have a secondary education and do not face the same challenges. However, there is a group that struggles and needs help.

When focusing on the group aged 20-24, 52 percent of the inactive young people had not completed secondary education in 2022.

It’s critically important to pass Danish and mathematics. The percentage of young people not in education or employment is generally higher in outer municipalities. Among the inactive youth in 2022, 13 percent had not passed the primary school leaving exam in Danish and mathematics. That figure rises to 15 percent for mathematics. In comparison, the same figures were three and four percent for active young people.

The group also displays more mental health issues than other young people. More than a third, or 35 percent, of the inactive young people who had not completed secondary education had filled a prescription for psychotropic drugs in 2022. This compares to 14 percent of the inactive young people with a secondary education certificate, and nine percent of the active young people.

Inactive young people without secondary education are also more often referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist, and are more frequently admitted to hospitals. They are at a higher risk of remaining jobless or out of education for several years.

The municipality of Bornholm is among those with a relatively high proportion of inactive young people. The Young Portal project provides guidance and help to young people on Bornholm who are not in education. They often face multiple challenges, including academic deficits from poor primary education, social problems, and personal issues such as health troubles and criminality.

Even though targeted efforts can be expensive, it makes sense for society as a whole, says Emilie Damm Klarskov. “If we help them into education or a job, it will bring long-term benefits. But it requires action now,” she says.