DENMARK – A survey conducted for state supplementary labour-market pension fund ATP has revealed that 60% of Danes doubt the state pension will exist in 30 years' time.

Even though eight out of 10 people think the state pension should be part of Denmark's social model 30 years hence, only four out of 10 believe it will still be there, according to the poll carried out by Nielsen among a representative sample of ATP's members.

The two most common explanations respondents gave as to why they thought the state pension would vanish were that society could no longer afford it and that, in future, it would only be given to the most disadvantaged.

Mistrust was stronger among men than women, the poll of 1,048 Danes showed.

While 47% of men surveyed believed it was probable or highly probably the state pension would still be there in 30 years' time, only 31% women held this opinion.

Jørgen Goul Andersen, professor of political science at Aalborg University, explained this difference by saying women generally had lower income than men and were more economically dependent on the state pension.

Women's negative attitudes about the future of the state pension simply expressed their fear and worry, he said.

In ATP's report on the poll results, social affairs minister Karen Hækkerup said there was no reason for such scepticism.

"The state pension is the basic part of our pension system and internationally is singled out as one of the best systems in the world," she said.

She said there was very broad political support for the Danish state pension model and no plans for fundamental changes.