By Sophia Roth
Denmark has long become a trendsetter in the global fashion scene, with people longing for Danish style and brands. A look into consumption statistics however reveals that over the past ten years, Danes themselves have spent less on fashion.
Numbers by Statistics Denmark show that the average household spending on clothing and footwear has stabilised from over 14 600 in 2012 to between 11 000 and 12 000 DKK per year. Singles under 60 years’ consumption of fashion rose again slightly after a low in 2017 and was around 8400 DKK per year in 2021. Parents with two children spent around 10 800 DKK, a decrease of over 32 percent compared to 2012.
Updated numbers for 2022 will not be available until December, Statistic Denmark replied to a request. With the inflation rate peaking at 10.1 percent in October 2022, it seems reasonable to project the spending on fashion to decrease even more.
Sandra Buch-Larsen from Copenhagen only spends around 2000 to 3000 DKK a year on clothes and shoes. “Because of the rising prices, I definitely buy less than I used to,” she says. Sandra has an expensive rent and rather prioritises going out to eat with her friends.
Her last purchase – a T-shirt for 200 DKK – therefore wasn’t an easy decision. “I considered it for two weeks before actually buying it,” she admits.