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1. Young people as voters

2. Young people as political representatives

Young people as voters

Since 1978, the voting age limit in Denmark has been 18 years of age for all types of elections.

There is no imminent plan to lower the voting age limit. There are no special provisions for young people in electoral law.

Everybody in the electoral register can vote in advance. The advance voting takes place under the auspices of Danish authorities or vote receivers appointed by the Danish authorities to perform this task and with resources procured by the Danish Ministry of Interior and Health.

The turnout of young people at elections in Denmark

Voter turnout among young people in Denmark remains high by European standards but shows signs of gradual decline after the first vote. While 18-year-olds continue to participate actively in both national and local elections, turnout decreases steadily with age throughout the twenties. The 2022 general election confirmed this pattern, with participation at 85 % among 18-year-olds compared to 76 % among those aged 19–21 and 75 % among 22–29-year-olds.

Ahead of the municipal and regional elections in November 2025, the Danish Youth Council’s (DUF) Democracy Analysis showed that 79% of young people aged 18–30 expected to vote, with the share even higher among young people active in associations. At the same time, previous elections show that young people in practice vote less than older voters, especially in local elections, where turnout among young voters has traditionally been significantly below the overall level.

To the parliamentary election in 2026, interest among young voters is expected to remain relatively high. Organisations such as DUF (Danish Youth Council) are actively working to increase both voter turnout and youth representation through initiatives such as election tests featuring young candidates and campaigns aimed at making it easier for young voters to navigate political choices and engage in democratic processes.

Young voters also tend to be less engaged in local and European elections, where turnout rates are significantly lower than in parliamentary elections. Despite these differences, overall youth participation in national elections has remained relatively stable over the past decade, reflecting a strong democratic culture but also highlighting the ongoing challenge of sustaining engagement beyond first-time voting.

The national turnout in the 2022 general election was 84.2%.

The national turnout in the 2021 municipal and regional elections was 67.2%.

The national turnout in the 2019 general election was 84.5%.

The national turnout in the 2019 European Parliament was 66.1%

The national turnout in the 2017 municipal and regional elections was 70.8%.

The national turnout in the 2015 general election was 85.9%.

The national turnout in the 2014 European Parliament election was 56.3%.

Young people as political representatives

Young people as members of political parties in Denmark

Political parties in Denmark are regulated by law in regard to state funding, the establishment of new political parties seeking election, and how to stand for general and local elections. Young people are welcome to join the parties.

There is no top-level legislation on youth wings of political parties; however, most political parties have youth wings with their own statutes that lay down the specific rules on membership:

The Social Democratic Party youth wing, DSU: Everyone under the age of 30 can apply for membership.

The Social Liberal party youth wing, RU: The minimum age for membership is 12 years.

The Socialist People’s Party youth wing, SFU: The maximum age for membership is 29 years.

The Liberal Alliance youth wing, LAU: The maximum age for membership is 29 years.

The Alternative youth wing, ÅU: No regulation on age.

The New Right youth wing, NBU: The minimum age for membership is 12 years and the maximum age for membership is 29 years.

The Danish People’s Party youth wing, DFU: The minimum age for membership is 12 years and the maximum age for membership is 29 years.

Socialist Youth Front, SUF: The maximum age for membership is 29 years.

Red Green Youth, RGU: The maximum age for membership is 29 years.

The Conservative Party youth wing, KU: No age regulation. Young people under the age of 18 years will need parental/legal guardian consent to apply for membership.

The Moderates youth wing, UM: The maximum age for membership is 29 years.

The Denmark Democrats youth wing, DDU: N/A

Young people as candidates in elections in Denmark

The legislation on young people as political representatives in national, regional, municipal, and European elections are the Danish Parliament Election Act, the Local and Regional Government Election Act, and the Members of the European Parliament Election Act. 

Among other things, these acts determine criteria for eligibility. To stand as a candidate for general, regional, municipal, and European elections, young persons must have turned 18. There are no quotas or special functions reserved for young people in these acts.

Article 56 of the Danish constitution states that every member of the Danish parliament is bound only by his/her own beliefs.

Young people remain underrepresented in elected assemblies in Denmark. In the 2021 municipal elections, only 5.8 % of councillors were under 30 years of age, with an average age of 51.3 years. This marks little change compared to 2017, when 5.5 % of municipal councillors were below 30. Similar patterns are found at the regional level, where young people accounted for just around 6 % of elected representatives in 2017. At the national level, the average age of members of the Danish Parliament elected in 2022 was 45.7 years, while in the 2019 European Parliament elections the average was 49.5 years. These figures show that, despite high youth voter turnout, young people continue to be sunderrepresented in both national and local decision-making bodies.

There is no existing provision aiming at facilitating young people to stand as political candidates.