Denmark has a lot of things going for it. Last year, the UN's World Happiness Report crowned it the globe's happiest country, citing the nation's commitment to maternity leave, gender equality, biking, and drinking lots of wine when it's cold outside.
Its economy is also tops, chugging out $211 billion in annual GDP despite its relatively small population of 5.6 million. Economic inequality? Not a problem. Income distributes more evenly there than most places.
But Denmark has a sex problem. (Re-evaluating that happiness ranking already?)
Well, it's not exactly a sex problem, per se. It's more like a baby problem.According to government statistics, Denmark posted a birth rate of 10 per 1,000 residents in 2013 - its lowest in decades. The nation's birthrate was 9.9 in 1983.
Denmark's perennially low birth rate places it with Germany (8.33), Japan(8.39) and Singapore (7.72). And the downward trend has left people worried in Denmark. Most couples say they want two or three kids,according to the Copenhagen Post, but one in five couples wind up childless.
On Wednesday, a bold - and hilarious - campaign emerged in Denmark to reverse the trend. For the salvation of the country, a travel company-organized movement called "Do it for Denmark!" wants Danes to act and act now - without precautions. "Denmark is facing a crisis," the company, Spies Rejser, says. "We are concerned. The fewer Danes means fewer people to support the aging population - but sadly, also fewer Spies travelers."[washingtonpost]
