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Danish consumer goods and services most expensive in EU

Christian Wenande
June 22nd, 2015


This article is more than 9 years old.

Danes top the EU in a number of areas

The price levels for consumer goods and services in Denmark are the most expensive in the EU, according to the EU statistics keepers Eurostat.

According to the Eurostat report (here in English), Danish prices in 2014 were 38 percent higher than the EU average in 12 main consumer and service groups. Only non-EU nations Norway and Switzerland were more expensive overall.

“Amongst the EU Member States, Denmark is the most expensive for food and non-alcoholic beverages. The highest prices for clothing in the EU are reported in Sweden, while for footwear, Denmark is the most expensive country,” Eurostat found.

READ MORE:Danish overseas consumer habits hurting economy

Affordable Macedonia
Denmark was also the most expensive country in the EU when it came to electricity, gas and other fuel prices, as well as personal transportation equipment and restaurants and hotels.

Denmark also ranked near the top in terms of clothing, household appliances, consumer electronics and transport services.

Despite the results, Danes can rest assured that while alcoholic beverages and tobacco costs 21 percent more in Denmark than the EU average, the Norwegians have to fork out 139 percent more than the average EU citizen.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Macedonia had the lowest price levels for consumer goods and services in Europe (53 percent cheaper than the EU average). Bulgaria followed just behind with the lowest EU prices at 52 percent.


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A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”