Over the last ten years the number of 25 to 39-year-olds originating from non-western countries completing higher education in Denmark has risen significantly, according to new information shared on the official website of the Danish ministry for immigration and integration. As with those of Danish origin, fewer and fewer of these young people are choosing to pursue a vocational education.

Among the 25 to 39-year-olds with roots in so-called MENAPT countries (a Danish category comprising the Middle Eastern and North African countries and Turkey), 48 % of men and 71 % of women have completed higher or vocational education. There is still a gap between this group and ethnic Danes of the same age - for whom the same statistics stand at 73 % for men and 81 % for women -, however the gap has significantly narrowed over the last decade.

In general a growing number of young people in Denmark are finishing education, but the rise has been much more significant for young people with a refugee or migrant background.

The analysis available on the site does not take an individual's parents' level of education or work experience into account, which would most likely make the difference between the two groups even bigger. First-generation refugees and migrants from non-western countries tend to be less educated than the native Danish population, which means that many second-generation refugees and migrants are able to jump to a much higher socio-economic level than the one in which they were raised – again, this holds particularly true for women.

The analysis article - in Danish - can be accessed via the link below.