Danes have lost faith in the future, according to new surveys that show deep pessimism about their descendants’ lives, even as many people and grassroots initiatives work to keep hope alive.
Fear of war and crises narrows the horizon
Over the past decade, a series of wars, crises and climate-related disasters has shaped how many Danes imagine the years ahead. Progress in living standards, health and rights is often overshadowed by images of conflict and instability. In this context, new research from the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (Instituttet for Fremtidsforskning) indicates that Danes are more pessimistic about the future than about the present.
In a recent survey, only about one in four respondents expect their descendants to have a better life than they do today, while a larger share believe that future generations will be worse off or see no improvement at all. This marks a break with a central assumption of many liberal democracies: that economic growth and social progress will allow each generation to live better than the previous one.
Researchers point out that this darker outlook is closely linked to fear of war and insecurity. When asked to describe the future, many respondents choose words related to peace, conflict and global instability. Analysts argue that people tend to project their interpretation of the present into their view of the future, so years marked by geopolitical tension and climate anxiety naturally feed a more pessimistic narrative.
Danes losing faith in the future of their children
The same surveys suggest that Danes’ expectations for their children and grandchildren are significantly lower than in the past. Only a minority believe that future generations will enjoy greater prosperity, security and freedom. Around one third expect their descendants’ lives to be worse than their own, while many others anticipate a future that is simply more of the same.
This pattern is not unique to Denmark. In a large cross-country study, a majority of adults in high-income countries expect today’s children to be financially worse off than their parents, reflecting a broader sense that the global economic model is not delivering on its promises. Against that backdrop, the Danish data look less like an exception and more like part of a wider wave of future pessimism in wealthy democracies.
At the same time, Denmark remains one of the countries with comparatively high levels of social trust and strong public institutions. For some analysts, this contrast between trust in day‑to‑day institutions and scepticism about long-term prospects raises questions about whether existing models of welfare, climate policy and economic growth are still seen as capable of securing the future.
Young people hold on to hope and want a different pace of life
Despite the overall pessimistic trend, the surveys highlight an important counterpoint: hope is strongest among younger Danes. Respondents aged roughly 18 to 30 report more confidence that a better future is still possible, even if it is harder to imagine. Their hopes often focus less on material wealth and more on quality of life.
The non-profit organisation Generation Hope was created by young Danes who themselves struggled to picture a positive future. Through workshops and presentations, the group works on what it calls “training the ability to hope”. One of its core activities, Love Letters to the Future (“Kærlighedsbreve til Fremtiden”), invites students in upper secondary schools and other youth settings to write letters to their future selves, to someone they care about or even to the planet as a whole. After working with thousands of young people, the organisation has collected a rich picture of what a hopeful Danish future looks like from their perspective.
In these letters and workshops, young participants repeatedly express hopes for a thriving climate, a slower rhythm of life and more space for relationships and community. They imagine a future in which basic needs are met, where there is time for presence and care, and where it is possible to balance individuality with a strong sense of belonging. Many also describe a desire for more engagement and agency, seeing themselves as actors who can shape social and political change rather than passive observers.
Artificial intelligence as risk – and as a chance to rediscover what it means to be human
The surveys show that artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the factors feeding Danes’ worries about the future. New technologies are often perceived as an existential risk, both in terms of job security and in terms of control over decision-making. In the data, “unemployment” is one of the most frequently mentioned fears when people describe the world of 2040, reflecting concerns that AI will perform a growing share of today’s work tasks.
Digital trend analysts note that these risks should not be underestimated, especially when it comes to concentration of power, surveillance and the impact on democratic debate. At the same time, they emphasise that AI can also become a powerful tool for solving complex problems, from climate modelling to healthcare, if it is governed responsibly.
Some observers argue that the spread of AI could trigger a kind of new renaissance, forcing societies to ask what is distinctly human in an age of advanced machines. In this view, the future may bring a stronger focus on everything that algorithms cannot easily reproduce: the embodied, fallible and nuanced aspects of human life, as well as arts, care work and democratic participation. For these commentators, confronting the risks of AI is inseparable from a broader debate about values and about what kind of future people really want.
Demand for long-term politics and a commissioner for future generations
Alongside fears about war, climate and technology, the surveys reveal low confidence in the political system’s ability to manage long-term challenges. A significant share of respondents report low or very low trust in current political institutions, and many feel that political decisions are dominated by short-term considerations rather than durable solutions.
When asked more directly, a clear majority say they would like to see more long-term political visions for the next 10 to 20 years. Many respondents support the idea of appointing a commissioner or ombudsman for future generations, modelled on arrangements already in place in some other European contexts. Such a role would be tasked with representing the interests of those who are not yet born and with scrutinising policies for their long-term impact.
Supporters of this idea argue that future-oriented institutions could help counter the tendency to equate pessimism with realism. They emphasise that pessimistic scenarios are not inevitable outcomes, but possible trajectories that can still be influenced by decisions taken today.
A Nordic and European debate about hope
For a Nordic welfare state like Denmark, the growing gap between present security and diminishing faith in the future raises broader questions. Similar concerns are visible across Europe, where many people fear that their children will inherit a world marked by climate disruption, inequality and geopolitical tension. Yet at the same time, young Danes and many civic initiatives insist that hope is a choice and a practice, not a naïve denial of risks.
In the coming years, debates in Denmark and across the Nordic region are likely to focus on how to align climate action, social cohesion and technological change with a credible narrative of progress for future generations. Whether through new institutions such as commissioners for future generations, renewed welfare policies or grassroots projects that give people a sense of agency, the question will be how to turn widespread anxiety into constructive engagement with the long term.
For now, the surveys suggest that many Danes see more darkness than light ahead. But they also show that, especially among the young, there remains a strong wish to imagine, and to build, a future that is worth believing in.
