The Rotten Banana (Danish: Den rådne banan) is an informal area of rural Denmark facing significant economic disparities.[1] The term Rotten Banana traditionally includes an area of Danish municipalities the west coast of Jutland to Lolland-Falster islands in the southeast,[2] forming a crescent shape reminiscent of a banana. This phenomenon has garnered media attention due to the stark economic disparities between these regions and more prosperous urban centers,[3][1] like Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense.
The term was coined by Hanne W. Tanvig in the 1990s to draw attention to a contrasting phenomenon to the Blue Banana.[4] The term, which holds a negative connotation, has been falling out of fashion, and media use of the term has declined.[5] Tanvig regrets creating the term.[4] In the time since the term was coined, studies have found that the area with highest unemployment has shrunken to primary west Zealand, Lolland, and Falster.[2][6]