SU no longer covers average rental costs
A recent analysis by Finans Danmark has highlighted a growing affordability crisis for students in Denmark’s major university cities. The State Educational Support (SU) for students living away from home, set at DKK 7,086 per month before tax (approx. €950), is no longer sufficient to cover average housing costs in cities like Copenhagen and Frederiksberg.
In these cities, a newly built private rental apartment of 50 square metres now costs DKK 8,100 per month (approx. €1,090), well above the SU stipend. After tax, students typically receive around DKK 6,042 (€810), making it nearly impossible to afford housing without additional income or support.
Wide disparities across university cities
While Copenhagen and Frederiksberg show the starkest discrepancies between student aid and housing costs, other cities offer slightly better conditions. In Aalborg, average rent for a similar flat is around DKK 5,000 (€670), which is more manageable with SU. Odense and Aarhus fall in between, with average rents of DKK 5,400 and DKK 6,700 respectively.
Ownership, however, remains out of reach for most students. A typical 50 square metre owner-occupied apartment in Copenhagen or Frederiksberg now costs around DKK 3.7 million (€500,000), a rise of over DKK 350,000 compared to 2024. Monthly expenses for these properties range from DKK 13,900 to 15,000 (€1,870–2,020), far exceeding student budgets.
Short supply of small, affordable units
Finans Danmark notes that only 10% of apartments for sale in the five major university cities are under 50 square metres, with just seven such units available on Frederiksberg. In Copenhagen, 97 are currently on the market. The increase in single-person households has further driven up demand and prices for small flats.
Students who seek subsidised student housing face long wait times. In Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, waiting periods can exceed six months. Aarhus and Odense report delays of three to four months, while Aalborg stands out with no waiting time, making it an outlier among Danish cities.
Calls for flexible housing policies
To address the situation, Finans Danmark has reiterated its proposal to abolish local minimum-size requirements in housing construction. This would allow developers to build more compact apartments, potentially easing pressure on the rental market and improving affordability for students.
Peter Jayaswal, Deputy Director for Mortgage Credit and Housing Finance at Finans Danmark, stated that the combination of limited supply and increasing demand “shows a clear need for more flexible housing regulations.” Without structural changes, Denmark’s university students may continue to face a precarious start to their academic careers.
However, many apartments marketed to students are already extremely small—often no bigger than a single room. Reducing minimum size requirements further could compromise basic habitability and student wellbeing. Rather than shrinking apartments even more, some observers suggest raising the SU rate or tackling the root causes of rising housing costs, which increasingly affect not only students, but also workers, families, and elderly residents. The situation highlights a broader issue: urban affordability is becoming a challenge for anyone trying to live in Denmark’s largest cities.
