Young Danes in financial trouble are becoming more common among the country’s youngest adults. In July, 2,275 people aged 18 to 20 were registered in Denmark’s RKI debtor register, an increase of more than 35 percent compared with five years earlier, according to new figures from Experian reported by TV 2.
The increase stands out because the overall number of Danes registered as bad payers has been falling. Around one percent of all 18- to 20-year-olds are now in RKI, although the proportion varies considerably between municipalities.
More 18- to 20-year-olds are entering Denmark’s debtor register
RKI, previously known as Ribers Kredit Information, is Denmark’s main register of people and companies with unpaid debts and is operated by Experian. According to the company, the database is used as part of credit assessments by businesses and financial institutions.
In summer 2021, 1,656 people aged between 18 and 20 were registered. By July 2026, that figure had risen to 2,275.
The trend contrasts with developments among the wider population. Experian said at the beginning of 2026 that around 164,847 people were registered in RKI, 2.1 percent fewer than a year earlier.
A separate analysis published by Finans Danmark in March also found that the share of people aged 18 to 30 in RKI fell to 3.3 percent in 2025, compared with 5.6 percent ten years earlier. However, it identified the youngest group, particularly those aged 18 to 21, as a persistent area of concern.
This suggests that the overall improvement in young Danes’ finances is not being shared equally across age groups.
What being registered in RKI means
Being listed in RKI can significantly restrict access to ordinary financial services.
Experian chief executive Bo Rasmussen told TV 2 that people registered as bad payers can find it more difficult to borrow money, lease a car or buy goods through instalment plans.
In more serious cases, he warned, people who cannot obtain regulated credit may turn towards informal lenders, where borrowing can be considerably more expensive and less protected.
A person does not normally enter RKI immediately after missing a payment. According to Forbrugerrådet Tænk, creditors must follow specific procedures, generally including several written reminders and a warning that continued non-payment may result in registration.
For debts between DKK 200 and DKK 1,000 (€27-134), registration takes place in a closed part of the database that is not visible to other companies. Debts above DKK 1,000 may lead to registration in the open register.
Social media is shaping spending and investment
There is no single documented explanation for the rise among 18- to 20-year-olds.
Experian told TV 2 that unpaid phone bills and relatively small consumer loans are among the recurring problems it sees. Rasmussen also pointed to the ease of spending money through digital platforms and to consumer culture on social media.
Financial education organisation We-Grow has noticed similar patterns.
Its founder and director Karin Lund-Frank, whose organisation provides financial education in schools, told TV 2 that many young people have limited knowledge of basic issues such as salaries, taxes and their own financial situation, even when they already have a part-time job or receive Denmark’s student grant, SU.
At the same time, young people are increasingly exposed to content encouraging both consumption and investment.
According to Lund-Frank, financial discussions with students are frequently dominated by the idea of achieving financial freedom through shares, while basic questions such as budgeting and saving receive less attention.
The phenomenon extends beyond individual anecdotes. In March, Finans Danmark warned about financial advice aimed at young people on social media. Its analysis found that four in ten Danish financial influencers examined provided poor or directly misleading advice, including content promoting high-risk investments or potentially fraudulent schemes.
The banking association has proposed a series of measures intended to make online financial advice more transparent.
Financial pressure remains concentrated among the youngest
Niels Arne Dam, chief economist at Finans Danmark, cautioned against interpreting the RKI figures too broadly because the absolute numbers remain relatively small.
But the association’s research indicates that financial difficulties are concentrated among young people with the least economic room to manoeuvre, including students without part-time jobs and young adults still living with their parents.
Among people aged 18 to 21, Finans Danmark has also identified links between financial pressure and consumption influenced by social media.
This creates a more complicated picture than simply suggesting that young people are spending irresponsibly. The youngest adults often have low and unstable incomes, little financial experience and limited savings, while simultaneously gaining immediate access to digital payments, credit products and investment platforms.
Danish schools face calls for more financial education
The rise in RKI registrations has renewed calls for financial education in Danish schools.
Experian, We-Grow and Finans Danmark all argue that young people should learn more about budgeting, borrowing, saving and investing before they become financially independent.
Since 2014, Finans Danmark has organised Pengeuge, or Money Week, which introduces pupils in the final years of compulsory education to personal finance. The initiative includes lessons on issues such as interest rates, loans and household budgets.
Madicken Luther, chair of the Danish School Students association (Danske Skoleelever), told TV 2 that pupils themselves would like personal finance to receive greater attention in compulsory education.
The debate increasingly concerns not only debt prevention but also the ability to navigate a financial environment in which consumption, credit and investments are available almost instantly.
The Danish figures illustrate an apparent contradiction. Financial conditions for young adults as a whole have improved, and fewer people under 30 are registered as bad payers than a decade ago. Yet among those just entering adulthood, RKI registrations have risen substantially.
Whether the trend continues will depend partly on how quickly financial education, consumer protection and regulation adapt to a generation whose first encounters with spending, borrowing and investing are increasingly taking place online.
