Denmark just became the first European country to officially push its retirement age to 70, starting with those born after December 31, 1970. Lawmakers say it’s necessary to “afford proper welfare for future generations,” but many Danes — particularly those in physically demanding jobs — are calling the move unfair, elitist, and disconnected from reality.
Let’s break it down. The average retirement age in Denmark today is 67, but that number already creeps up to 69 for some. By 2040, it’ll hit 70. This shift comes despite a growing number of Danes already working beyond retirement — nearly 80,000 over the state pension age are still employed, largely due to flexible job options and a solid economy. It all sounds optimistic, but here’s the catch: just because some want to work longer doesn’t mean everyone can.
For professions like teachers, scaffolders, and care workers, the idea of grinding it out until 70 is more punishment than progress. Similar criticisms emerged in France when President Macron attempted to bump the age to 64 — and over a million people took to the streets. Denmark’s backlash, though quieter, feels just as pointed.
Red-Green Alliance MP Pelle Dragsted minced no words: “It is incomprehensible. It cannot be explained. And it cannot be defended.” He called out the hypocrisy of ministers retiring comfortably at 60 while asking laborers to carry on another decade. The party’s social media posts labeled the reform as “unreasonably high,” underscoring Denmark’s two-tier pension reality — one for the elite, another for everyone else.
But this isn’t just about Denmark. This law sets a precedent that may ripple across the EU. As birth rates continue to plunge across Europe, leaders are scrambling to shore up pension systems before they buckle. It’s no surprise that Germany and the UK are closely watching Copenhagen’s experiment.
It’s also worth noting that China recently upped its own retirement age, and in the U.S., workers are already clinging to part-time gigs into their 70s. But the question isn’t whether people can work longer — it’s whether they should be forced to, particularly when wealth gaps widen and health outcomes diverge.
Denmark’s choice exposes deeper societal divides: white-collar professionals with desk jobs vs. working-class laborers with worn-out knees. Retirement should be a reward, not a punishment stretched by spreadsheets. If the idea is truly to preserve welfare, let’s start with policies that support fair wages, accessible healthcare, and robust labor protections — not just stretch the finish line further away.
Because if 70 becomes the new normal across Europe, the real cost might not be budgetary — it could be human.