74.1 Overall Score

Denmark

Data as of Aug 1
Next 》

45.6 Public Health
Directives
56.3 Financial
Response
100 Fact-Based
Communication

45.6 Public Health
Directives
56.3 Financial
Response
100 Fact-Based
Communication

Denmark's score is very strong, due to a robust healthcare system and to generous fiscal responses that safeguarded employment. Public health directives have improved substantially in recent months.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Denmark’s universal healthcare system, coupled with a high GDP per capita and low debt-to-GDP ratio have contributed to its effective pandemic-response policies, though it is hurt by its low number of hospital beds.

Debt/GDP ratio 34.3%
GDP/capita $55,675
Gini coefficient (out of 100) 28.7
Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 4
Healthcare access score (out of 100) 85.7
Hospital beds/1,000 People 17.5

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Aug 1.)

45.6

Public Health Directives

Denmark has had very high testing levels, but relatively low emergency healthcare spending and a relaxed lockdown result in a score around the median.

Stay at home order 1
Public gathering restrictions 2
School closings 2
Public event cancellations 1
Testing policy 3
Emergency healthcare investments/capita $16.59
Travel restrictions 3
Tests/1,000 people 3.2
Contact tracing 2

56.3

Financial Response

Denmark’s financial response is characterized by very generous income support and accessible debt-forbearance opportunities.

Financial stimulus as share of GDP 13.4%
Income support 2
Debt forebearance 2

100

Fact-Based Communication

Denmark’s prime minister conducts weekly briefings that emphasize clear, fact-based messages.

Reliance on science/fact based information 0
Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Aug 1

Denmark has a relatively strong score in this category, with a fairly low death and case rate and a very low positivity rate, meaning that it is testing a wide range of its population.

Total deaths 615
Death rate per 100K 106.2
Total cases 13,789
Cases per 100K 2,381
Percent of positive tests 0.3

Daily cases Level 1 Lockdown

	Date	Status	New Cases/1M
1	Apr 15	Primary schools reopen	35.52
2	Apr 20	Non-essential health care services and some businesses, such as hair salons, reopen	29.84
3	May 11	Retail stores reopen	22.35
4	May 18	Restaurants and secondary schools reopen	12.28
5	May 21	Museums and zoos reopen	11.10
6	May 27	Cultural activities reopen	9.47
7	Jun 08	Numbers allowed at public gatherings raised from 10 to 50	6.88
8	Jul 01	Numbers allowed at public gatherings raised from 50 to 100	5.11

Differentiating Factors

High wage-reimbursement levels: Denmark has kept its rate of unemployment low by reimbursing companies for up to 90 percent of furloughed workers' wages. Read More
Early action enabling slow re-opening: The government has taken a two-part approach to the pandemic, initially focused on suppression via lockdown, and then mitigation, including contact tracing. In April, it became the first European country to re-open schools. Read More
Keeping hospital visits low: Primary physicians and general practitioners are responsible for the majority of coronavirus diagnoses, with the aim of keeping hospital visits to a minimum. Read More

Compared with Neighboring Countries

71.9
Norway 9,208
Cases 1,699
Per 1M 255
Deaths

Norway scores just below the median, pulled down by its weak public health and financial response scores, despite a strong reliance on facts and a free press.
51.6
Sweden 76,937
Cases 7,618
Per 1M 5,762
Deaths

Despite being known for a relatively strong public healthcare system, Sweden has been hit hard with cases; the country’s lack of stay-at-home orders and school closures, limited testing, and few gathering restrictions overshadowed its financial support, reliance on facts, and accountability with an open press.
67.2
Germany 209,653
Cases 2,502
Per 1M 9,141
Deaths

Germany has improved its score a bit in the past few months, after a sharp decline in the fall. Its improvements in contact tracing, which are already likely underestimated in the data, and restrictions on public gatherings, have played important roles in this turnaround, although there has been a recent spike in cases, likely due to both recent restriction relaxations and vaccine rollout issues.

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Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

Debt to GDP ratio
Infant mortality rates
Hospital beds per 1,000 people
Gini coefficients measuring inequality
Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

Stay-at home orders
School-closing policy
Public-gathering restrictions
Cancellation of public events
Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
Emergency healthcare spending per capita
Travel restrictions
Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

Stimulus package as a share of GDP
Income support
Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

Instances of misinformation by leadership
Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

Death rates per 1 million
Case rates per 1 million