Citizens' debt to the public sector increases to 1.7 billion

Citizens' debt to the public sector was 1.691 billion kroner in January 2026. This is stated in the Political Economic Report, which is published by the Ministry of Finance.

Citizens' debt is 137 million kroner higher compared to the same time last year.

Tax arrears that citizens have not yet fully paid constitute the largest part of the debt. This amounts to 637 million kroner.

- Tax arrears have increased by 42.8 million kroner from 2025 to 2026. In recent years, they have constituted the largest share of the arrears, the ministry writes.

Debt for maintenance or child support is the second largest item, which is 404 million kroner.

Siumut: Too many are neglecting their obligations

Siumut's Erik Jensen considers it serious that citizens' total debt to the public sector is not falling. According to him, there are far too many citizens who neglect their obligations - that is, fail to pay bills.

- We will soon reach a debt equivalent to 2 billion if we do nothing. We as a society cannot continue to bear that. I believe that action must be taken, says Erik Jensen.

He also believes that the time has come for the failure to pay public sector debt in recent years to a large extent to require political action. He also mentions other examples of possible actions.

- We should make an agreement between the parties. We should draw up a nationwide strategy for what we should do so that citizens' debt to the public sector does not continue to increase, he says.

IA: Young people must learn about economics

Among the citizens' other arrears are, among others, 50 million kroner for rent, 32 million kroner for renovation and 10 million kroner for daycare institutions.

Ane Hansen (IA) is a member of Inatsisartut's Finance and Tax Committee. She says that if citizens' debt to the public is not to grow, economics must be taught in primary school.

- Young people often do not continue on to vocational education because of poor results in primary school. There is a big task there. Being able to avoid debt is also something that needs to be learned, says Ane Hansen.

She supports Erik Jensen's examples of the need for greater political action.

- We must all discuss it in the parties and agree on what measures we can find and create a framework to reduce the problem, says Ane Hansen.