Modern Denmark is built on dialogue — on the communities that meet in town halls, council chambers, schools, and kitchens, where we share our views and listen to one another.

That is why the Constructive Institute, through the Your Vote. Our Denmark project, has commissioned a representative Epinion survey for each of Denmark’s 98 municipalities and four regions ahead of the upcoming local and regional elections in November. The goal is to provide everyone with a clearer understanding of what citizens in each municipality and region think — and which issues they consider most important.

The first part of the survey will be made publicly available on Wednesday, 22 October 2025 at 6:00 AM, marking the start of media coverage based on the findings.

“We wanted to create a shared foundation of knowledge — something all media, candidates, and citizens could use. So we asked Epinion the naïve question: What would it take to conduct a credible opinion survey about Danes’ local attitudes in all 98 municipalities and four regions?

After taking a deep breath, they replied: ‘You’d have to ask a lot of people.’
And so we did,”

Ulrik Haagerup, founder and CEO of the Constructive Institute.

Since the last local and regional elections in 2021, a wave of layoffs across Danish newsrooms has meant there are now roughly 350 fewer journalists to help voters make informed choices. The ambition behind this survey is therefore to support public dialogue and strengthen local media by providing a solid, data-driven foundation for election coverage. It also aims to equip local candidates to campaign constructively — based on facts, not assumptions.

“Understanding citizens’ views is the cornerstone of a vibrant democratic conversation — because political decisions are strongest when grounded in people’s realities. That’s why it matters to give people a voice and create a shared foundation that both politicians and journalists can use to discuss and cover elections based on what Danes actually think.”

Christian Fischer Vestergaard, Senior Director at Epinion

Behind Denmark’s largest-ever citizen survey on local democracy

 

By giving journalists, politicians, and citizens equal access to a broad, evidence-based picture of public opinion, this survey makes it possible to discuss both differences and common ground with greater respect, curiosity, and insight — in every part of the country.

“In collaboration with Epinion, the University of Southern Denmark, and Statistics Denmark, we have conducted the largest survey I have ever heard of. The goal is that public debate should no longer rely on guesses — and that insight into citizens’ hopes and frustrations should no longer be reserved for a few large media outlets and parties. Now, there’s a foundation for everyone,” says Ulrik Haagerup, founder and CEO of the Constructive Institute.

The Your Vote. Our Denmark survey is based on a unique method: a random and representative selection of Danes were invited to respond via Digital Post. This means that all adult citizens had an equal opportunity to participate — regardless of who they are, where they live, or how often they are usually asked.

Unlike traditional opinion polls based on phone interviews or online panels, this approach reaches the entire population across all municipalities and regions. It provides a more accurate and balanced picture of Danish attitudes — including voices that are rarely heard in public debate.

“This is the largest political attitude survey ever conducted in Denmark — offering unprecedented insight down to the level of individual municipalities and regions. By inviting 475,000 Danes, we’ve achieved exceptional data quality and breadth, allowing us to explore public opinion and democratic engagement equally across all local elections”

Christian Fischer Vestergaard, Senior Director at Epinion

Because every municipality and region matters equally, Epinion invited the same number of citizens from each (except in the smallest municipalities, where population size limits participation). The result is a dataset that enables comparisons of priorities and perspectives across the entire country — from the biggest cities to the smallest local communities.

About Your Vote. Our Denmark

The partnership behind Your Vote. Our Denmark was created to strengthen local democracy. It brings together local media, philanthropic foundations, educational institutions, and research organizations — with the Constructive Institute as an independent driving force.

The opinion survey has been funded by VELUX FONDEN and TrygFonden.