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With 81 favorable votes, the Danish Parliament approved retirement at seventy years old for those born from 1970 onwards. The measure aims to ensure the sustainability of the social welfare system, but faces criticism from unions.
Ensuring that future generations benefit from a solid social system was the central argument for the Parliament of Denmark to approve, in 2025, the new official retirement age: seventy years old.
The decision, made in Copenhagen with 81 favorable votes, makes the country the holder of the highest minimum age in Europe. The plan is a direct response to increased longevity and seeks to prevent the financial collapse of the State, as reported by EXAME.
The rule will directly impact those born from the last day of 1970 onwards, establishing a new ceiling for the national labor market.
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Challenges and the dilemmas of manual laborers
Despite the legislative victory, the proposal faces strong resistance from unions and left-wing parties. The point of contention is the unequal impact on professions with high physical demands, such as construction workers and teachers.
The 3F trade union central brought an alarming fact to the debate: 75% of its members doubt they will be healthy enough to work until seventy years old. The main criticism lies in the fact that the reform could excessively burden the low-income population, who start working life earlier and in more exhaustive roles.
A heated labor market despite aging
With a population of approximately 6 million people and an average age of 41.3 years, Denmark faces the challenge of maintaining its productive economy while its demographic base ages.
About 21.1% of citizens are already over 65, which pressures the need for active labor.
Currently, the country’s economic scenario presents peculiar indicators:
- Senior engagement: About 80,000 Danes already choose to work beyond the current minimum age (67 years).
- Low unemployment: The unemployment rate is only 2.6%, with an overall employment rate of 69.5%.
- Incentives: The government and companies offer financial bonuses and greater schedule flexibility for those who postpone leaving the market.
Denmark at the top of the global retirement ranking
With this measure, the country stands alone as the nation with the strictest rules in Europe, matching Libya’s level. While neighbors like France face tensions to raise the age to 64, the Danish government is decades ahead.
Comparison of minimum ages by country
- Denmark and Libya: seventy years (World leaders)
- United Kingdom: 67 to 68 years
- Brazil: 65 years (men) and 62 years (women)
- China: 63 years for men (in gradual transition)
- Turkey and Ukraine: 60 years (among the lowest in the world)
Sustainability and the longevity pact in Denmark
The Danish strategy is not an improvisation, but rather the fulfillment of an agreement established in 2006. This pact stipulates that the working age limit must follow life expectancy. Thus, the seventy-year target should be fully reached by 2040.
According to Minister of Employment, Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, the change is vital to “ensure an adequate social welfare system”. In the current model, those born after 1967 already face a transition that raises the limit to 69 years, but the new text sets the maximum level for those born from 1970 onwards.
By projecting the seventy-year limit for 2040, the government seeks predictability. The idea is for the system to be self-sustaining, avoiding deficits that would necessitate cuts in other areas, such as health and education.
Source: Exame
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