Denmark election 2026 has led to a notable increase in female representation in the Folketing, continuing a long-term trend towards greater gender balance in Danish politics. However, the data also show significant differences between parties, with some still lagging behind.
More women elected than in previous legislature
The newly elected Folketing includes 83 women and 92 men (excluding North Atlantic mandates), marking a clear increase compared to the previous legislature, which had 76 women.
This shift confirms a gradual but consistent rise in women’s political representation in Denmark. While the country has long been considered relatively advanced in terms of gender equality, the latest election suggests further progress in closing the gap.
Left-leaning parties drive the increase in female representation
The increase is largely driven by parties on the left and centre-left, which show the highest shares of female MPs.
Socialistisk Folkeparti (Socialist People’s Party) stands out, with women making up around 75 percent of its parliamentary group. Alternativet (The Alternative) records the highest share overall, with 80 percent women.
Other left-leaning parties, including Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance) and the Conservatives (Konservative), also show relatively high female representation, above 60 percent.
These figures reflect party-level strategies that have prioritised gender balance in candidate selection and internal party structures.
Large parties show more uneven gender balance
By contrast, some of the largest parties in the Folketing display more uneven gender representation.
The Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet), despite being the largest party, have women representing only around 34 percent of their parliamentary group. Dansk Folkeparti (Danish People’s Party) records the lowest share, with just 19 percent women.
These differences highlight how gender representation is not uniform across the political system, but varies significantly depending on party culture, recruitment strategies and voter preferences.
Gender equality advances, but not evenly across the system
The overall increase in female MPs suggests that Denmark continues to move towards a more balanced parliament. However, the uneven distribution across parties indicates that progress is not linear.
Some parties have effectively institutionalised gender equality, while others continue to rely on more traditional candidate profiles. This creates a parliament where gender balance exists at the aggregate level, but not necessarily within each political group.
Denmark’s trajectory aligns with broader trends across the Nordic countries, where women’s political representation has generally been higher than the European average.
However, the Danish case also shows that even in countries with strong equality frameworks, political representation remains influenced by party dynamics and electoral competition.
