On average, residents in Danish rural municipalities are less educated than in urban areas. But progress is being observed. Over time, the general educational level is rising both in rural and urban areas and the proportion of inhabitants without any education beyond primary or secondary school is declining. This development is particularly rapid in rural areas. The proportion of inhabitants with further (university or diploma) education is also rising in the peripheral municipalities, although less rapidly than in urban areas. Thus, cities are increasingly a magnet for the highly educated segments of the population. The local labour markets in the peripheral municipalities tend to compensate for lack of or surplus of qualifications by commuting, a phenomenon that has increased over the past decade, and which is to some extent related to the educational structure. The AMU system (Adult Vocational Training system) plays a particularly important role outside the cities where the training offers help to ensure the skill level in the workplaces despite the general lower level of formal education.
Summary of CLF Report 17/2012
