Denmark enjoys a more trusting environment than most of Europe

Denmark enjoys a more trusting environment than most of EuropePeople in Denmark are more trusting than most their European counterparts and generally do not fear violence and crime, revealed a new survey by the Justice Ministry, which also showed they have faith in the police and court system.

The ministry’s survey compared the national research of 23 countries relating to trust, security and people’s views of the police and courts, and found that people in the Scandinavian country have more faith in their court system than any of the other nations involved. Denmark was also number one in terms of public feeling on how the courts treated its citizens.

Denmark came second on the list, behind Nordic neighbour Finland, when it came to trusting the police, while the country was behind only Iceland when revealing how safe they felt walking alone at night, with 54 per cent admitting they felt safe after dark on their own – nearly two times the 28 per cent average spread across the 23 countries involved. Nordic people in general felt safe at night, with 56 per cent of Icelanders feeling comfortable alone after dark, and Swedes and Norwegians not far behind their Danish counterparts.

Justice Minister Metter Frederiksen said Danes feel safe and secure and, generally, do not live their lives in fear of violence or crime. He admitted that he was “very pleased” to learn that people trusted the police and the courts but cautioned that resting on their laurels would be a mistake as trust takes time to build up but no time at all to destroy.

In comparison with their Nordic neighbours, Danes also have greater trust in their fellow residents, ranking their trust level in their countrymen as just under seven out of 10. This is an ongoing trend, with Denmark scoring highly in this category since 2002.