The Danish Institute for Human Rights recently published a report on racism in Denmark, based on a questionnaire sent to almost 29 000 people - who were either born in Denmark or arrived as children - with roots in non-European countries (using the Danish definition “non-Western”*). 4 263 of these individuals completed the entire questionnaire.
 
The report describes discrimination and prejudice experienced by those surveyed, stating that 84% of people with an ethnic minority background in Denmark have personally experienced illegal discrimination. For many, discrimination was not a single incident, but repeated negative experiences across the labour market, public spaces, and in contact with public authorities. One example of such an incident given in the report is the following verbal insult:

“Take off that headscarf! There are too many of you. You are unintelligent.”
 
The statement is aimed at a young woman, Siham El Haddad, wearing a hijab while walking in the busy streets of Copenhagen with her two children. She does not know the woman who attacks her verbally. She explains: “It makes me feel different. We are Danes, both of us. I was born and raised in Denmark, so of course my family is Danish. But the experience makes you feel like an outsider.” She says she has also been pushed and spat upon by strangers.

The authors state that individuals' own experiences cannot provide a fully accurate picture of the actual extent of discrimination and prejudice in the country, however head of the section for equal treatment at the Institute for Human Rights, Rasmus Brygger, points out that “over 80% is so high that it is something you should take seriously, no matter what”.
  
55% respondents say they have changed their appearance or behaviour in public to avoid racism, some even their name, and 38% have considered leaving the country due to racism. Only 11% have reported relevant incidents to the authorities, as many do not believe that doing so would make a difference to their situation.
 
The Institute for Human Rights urges the Danish government to present its national action plan against racism, the development of which was originally announced in 2022.

*NB: Denmark's population-related statistics generally distinguish between residents with a foreign background by categorising people has coming from either ‘Western’ or ‘non-Western’ countries. In the Danish context, 'Western countries' are understood to be all EU countries plus Andorra, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, United Kingdom, the United States and the Vatican. Those from any other country are defined as 'non-Western'. A person is not considered 'Danish' by Denmark's statistics body by virtue of holding a Danish passport, rather only if they have in addition at least one parent who is a Danish citizen and was born in Denmark.