Reports of serious work-related stress in Denmark have reached the highest level ever recorded, according to a new analysis from the trade union think tank Arbejderbevægelsens Erhvervsråd.
DR reported on November 12 that a growing number of people in Denmark are reporting stress as an occupational disease. The figures come from a new analysis by Arbejderbevægelsens Erhvervsråd (AE). Since 2019, the number of stress-related occupational disease reports has risen by 50 percent.
Chief analyst Kristoffer Lind Glavind of AE told DR that stress is difficult to measure precisely. He said the analysis looks at the very serious end of stress, and that this figure keeps climbing. Employment has grown over the period, but reports per employee are also at a record level.
What the 2025 figures show
According to nyheder.dk, AE counted 4,650 stress-related occupational disease reports in 2025. That compares with 3,090 reports in 2019 and 1,750 in 2010. Of the 2025 cases, 3,540 involved women and 1,100 involved men.
The trade outlet A4 Arbejdsmiljø reported on November 11 that the data come from Arbejdsmarkedets Erhvervssikring (AES). AE says the measured risk of severe work-related stress is historically high. DR notes that the analysis points to the large welfare professions, and that poor management doubles the rate of long-term sick leave.
Under 5 percent of cases are recognised
Glavind told DR that it is almost impossible to have stress recognised as a work injury. Under 5 percent of work-related stress cases are accepted, he said, because the burden of proof is very high. He said the low recognition rate points to a problem in the Danish work injury system.
DR reports that an earlier AE analysis from 2024 put the cost of work-related stress at 55 billion kroner a year. Glavind said nearly 100,000 people are outside the labour market because of stress, including 39,000 due to work-related stress. Experts also expect a significant number of unreported cases.
Beate Fabricius Ingerslev, political head of working environment and health at Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening, disagrees with the interpretation. Speaking on DR’s P1 Morgen, she said more reports do not necessarily mean more people are seriously ill from work. She pointed to the economic council of experts, which last month found no sign that serious stress reactions have become more widespread over 15 to 20 years.
Ingerslev called for a shared measuring tool so employers and employees can agree on the numbers. In the government’s 2027 finance bill, published by Finansministeriet, 50 million kroner is set aside for a prevention fund to be established in 2027. Economy and interior minister Pia Olsen Dyhr of SF told DR the scale of the problem requires action at society level.
What the arbejdsskade system means for foreign workers
In Denmark, a doctor usually decides whether a stress illness should be reported as a work injury, or arbejdsskade. Per DR, the doctor has a duty to report it when the illness is caused by work. Reports are registered with Arbejdsmarkedets Erhvervssikring, the body that assesses occupational disease claims and decides on recognition.
For internationals, that means a report and a recognition are two separate steps, and the figures cited by AE cover reports. Recognition can lead to compensation, but AE’s Glavind says fewer than 5 percent of stress cases clear the evidence requirement. General information on employment conditions and sick leave is covered in our guide to workers’ rights in Denmark, and workplace stress has featured in Danish debate before, including in cases such as the Royal Theatre workplace crisis.
What the prevention fund will actually fund is not yet known. Finansministeriet’s finance bill lists 50 million kroner for building the fund in 2027, with later funding to be decided afterwards. DR has reported criticism of the amount from economist Michael Rosholm, who said 50 million kroner does not go far.
