Nearly half of Danes are willing to fight for their country if it is attacked by a foreign power, according to the Democracy Perception Index 2025. This figure surpasses that of many other European nations, including France, Germany, Spain, and Italy.

The survey, conducted in April, revealed that 48% of Danes would personally defend Denmark, while 20% would not, and the remainder were unsure.

Former Minister of Defence and Justice Hans Engell expressed mixed feelings upon reviewing the survey, finding it “partly depressing” but also optimistic, noting that Denmark’s fighting spirit ranks highly compared to its European allies.

He attributed this willingness to fight to a growing awareness among Danes of external threats, highlighting that the readiness to defend one’s country is generally not strong in Europe.

Scandinavian countries show the highest willingness to fight, with 55% of Norwegians prepared to defend Norway.

Morten Frederiksen, dean of social sciences at Roskilde University, suggests that Denmark’s strong sense of national pride and its community-oriented society contribute to this willingness.

He described Denmark as patriotic rather than nationalistic, emphasizing the shared values and welfare state that bind Danes together.

However, Hans Engell also noted that support for defence spending varies across Europe, with some countries, like Spain, reluctant to increase their defence budgets even at the cost of higher taxes or lower public spending.

Engell criticized European politicians for failing to adequately engage their citizens in the importance of defence, warning that the low support in some countries serves as a “warning” to European leaders.