Denmark
Denmark⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is part of the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. The country has opted out of certain elements of the EU's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union and justice and home affairs issues. a 2022 referendum resulted in the removal of Denmark's 30-year opt-out on defense issues, now allowing Denmark to participate fully in the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 42,434 sq km
- Note
- note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn) but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
- Water
- 660 sq km
- Total
- 43,094 sq km
- Climate
- temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
- Terrain
- low and flat to gently rolling plains
Land Use
- Other
- 18.5% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 16% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 65.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 59.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 5.6% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes several major islands (Sjaelland, Fyn, and Bornholm)
- Coastline
- 7,314 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Lammefjord -7 m
- Highest point
- Store Mollehoj 171 m
- Mean elevation
- 34 m
- Irrigated land
- 2,420 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Europe
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 141 km
- Border countries
- Germany 140 km; Canada 1.3 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
- Geography note
- composed of the Jutland Peninsula and a group of more than 400 islands (Danish Archipelago); controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen
- Natural resources
- petroleum, natural gas, fish, arable land, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand
- Area comparative
- slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts; about two-thirds the size of West Virginia
- Geographic coordinates
- 56 00 N, 10 00 E
- Population distribution
- population centers tend to be along coastal areas, particularly in Copenhagen and the eastern side of the country's mainland
People & Society
Languages
- Languages
- Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority); note - English is the predominant second language
- Major language sample(s)
Verdens Faktabog, den uundværlig kilde til grundlæggende oplysninger. (Danish)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- Religions
- Evangelical Lutheran (official) 71.4%, Muslim 4.3%, other/none/unspecified (denominations include Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Serbian Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Baptist, Buddhist, Church of Jesus Christ, Pentecostal, and nondenominational Christian) 24.3% (2024 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.86 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 9.81 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 10.56 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 41 years
- Total
- 42.2 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 43.4 years
Population
- Male
- 3,001,698
- Total
- 6,051,491 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 3,049,793
Nationality
- Noun
- Dane(s)
- Adjective
- Danish
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 14.4% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 14.3% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 14.3% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 88.5% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.54% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 16.2% (male 496,793/female 471,018)
- 15 64 years
- 62.9% (male 1,903,315/female 1,856,615)
- 65 years and over
- 20.8% (2024 est.) (male 575,153/female 670,242)
- Ethnic groups
- Danish (includes Greenlandic (who are predominantly Inuit) and Faroese) 84.2%, Turkish 1.1%, other 14.7% (largest groups are Polish, Romanian, Syrian, Ukrainian, German, and Iraqi) (2023 est.)
Child Marriage
- Women married BY age 18
- 0.7% (2021)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 57.2 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 24.5 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 3.1 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 32.7 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 7.24 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 9.5% of GDP (2022)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 17.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 7.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 2.5 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.5 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 6.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 14.2% national budget (2022 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.64% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.73 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- population centers tend to be along coastal areas, particularly in Copenhagen and the eastern side of the country's mainland
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 80.2 years
- Female
- 84.1 years
- Total population
- 82.1 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 3.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 4.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 9.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 1.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 1.381 million COPENHAGEN (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 19.7% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 29.8 years (2020 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 54.3% (2024 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 18 years (2023 est.)
- Total
- 18 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 19 years (2023 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
Executive
- Flag
- description: red field with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the left
history: referred to as the Dannebrog (Danish flag) and is one of the oldest national flags in the world; the origin of the design is unclear; one legend says that the banner fell from the sky during an early-13th-century battle and inspired the royal army to victory; in actuality, the flag may derive from a crusade banner
Capital
- Name
- Copenhagen
- Etymology
- name derives from the Danish words køber (merchant or buyer) and havn (harbor or port)
- Time difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October; note - applies to continental Denmark only, not to its North Atlantic components
- Geographic coordinates
- 55 40 N, 12 35 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Denmark
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 7 years
Constitution
- History
- several previous; latest adopted 5 June 1953
- Amendment process
- proposed by the Folketing (Parliament) with consent of the government; passage requires approval by the next Folketing following a general election, approval by simple majority vote of at least 40% of voters in a referendum, and assent of the chief of state
Country Name
- Etymology
- the name derives from the words Dane, a tribal name with unclear Germanic origins, and mark, a Danish word that refers to a march (borderland)
- Local long form
- Kongeriget Danmark
- Local short form
- Danmark
- Conventional long form
- Kingdom of Denmark
- Conventional short form
- Denmark
- Independence
- ca. 965 (unified and Christianized under Harald I GORMSSON); 5 June 1849 (became a parliamentary constitutional monarchy)
- Legal system
- civil law; judicial review of legislative acts
- Government type
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 18 judges)
- Subordinate courts
- Special Court of Indictment and Revision; 2 High Courts; Maritime and Commercial Court; county courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, with the advice of the Judicial Appointments Council, a 6-member independent body of judges and lawyers; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 70
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: Queen MARGRETHE II abdicated on 14 January 2024, the first Danish monarch to voluntarily abdicate since King ERIC III in 1146
- Cabinet
- Council of State appointed by the monarch
- Chief of state
- King FREDERIK X (since 14 January 2024)
- Head of government
- Prime Minister Mette FREDERIKSEN (since 27 June 2019)
- Election/appointment process
- the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister
- National holiday
- Constitution Day, 5 June (1849)
- National color(s)
- red, white
National Heritage
- Note
- note: includes three sites in Greenland
- Total world heritage sites
- 12 (8 cultural, 4 natural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Denmark: Mounds, Runic Stones, and Church at Jelling (c); Roskilde Cathedral (c); Kronborg Castle (c); Wadden Sea (n); Stevns Klint (n); Christiansfeld, Moravian Church Settlement (c); Par force hunting landscape, North Zealand (c); Greenland: Ilulissat Icefjord (n); Kujataa, Norse and Inuit Farming (c); Aasivissuit–Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground (c); Viking-Age Ring Fortresses (c); Møns Klint (n)
- Political parties
- The Alternative or AP
Conservative People's Party or DKF or C
Danish People's Party or DF or O
Denmark Democrats or E
Green Left or SF or F (formerly Socialist People's Party or SF or F)
Liberal Alliance or LA or I
Liberal Party (Venstre) or V
Moderates or M
New Right Party or NB or D
Red-Green Alliance (Unity List) or EL
Social Democrats or SDP or A
Social Liberal Party or SLP or B
Legislative Branch
- Chamber name
- The Danish Parliament (Folketinget)
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 179 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Legislature name
- Parliament (Folketinget)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 11/1/2022
- Expected date of next election
- October 2026
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 43.6%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Social Democratic Party (50); Liberal Party (Venstre) (23); Moderates (M) (16); Socialist People's Party (SF) (15); Danish Democrats (Æ) (14); Liberal Alliance (14); Conservative People's Party (10); Unity List-Red-Green Alliance (9); Other (24)
National Anthem(s)
- Note
- note: Denmark is one of only two countries that has two national anthems of equal status (New Zealand is the other)
- Title
- “Kong Christian stod ved højen mast” (King Christian Stood by the Lofty Mast)
- History
- adopted 1780; one of the oldest royal anthems in the world; used for events when Danish royalty is present; anthem has equal status with the national anthem
- Lyrics/music
- Johannes EWALD/unknown
- National symbol(s)
- lion, mute swan
- National coat of arms
- Denmark’s King Frederick VI adopted the national coat of arms in 1819; the crown of King Christian V, who ruled Denmark and Norway from 1670 to 1699, sits atop the shield, symbolizing royal and national authority; the three lions represent a strong and powerful country, with red lily pads in the shape of hearts that stand for strength, valor, and joy
- Administrative divisions
- metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner, singular - region); Hovedstaden (Capital), Midtjylland (Central Jutland), Nordjylland (North Jutland), Sjaelland (Zealand), Syddanmark (Southern Denmark)
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 328-1470
- Chancery
- 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 234-4300
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Jesper Møller SØRENSEN (since 15 September 2023)
- Consulate(s) general
- Chicago, Houston, New York, Silicon Valley (CA)
- Email address and website
wasamb@um.dk
https://usa.um.dk/en
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [45] 35-43-02-23
- Embassy
- Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Kobenhavn 0
- Telephone
- [45] 33-41-71-00
- Mailing address
- 5280 Copenhagen Place, Washington DC 20521-5280
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Kenneth A. HOWERY (since 5 November 2025)
- Email address and website
CopenhagenACS@state.gov
https://dk.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Leaders
Current
Frederik X of Denmark
- Head of State
Mette Frederiksen
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $149.393 billion (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $136.662 billion (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $301.4B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $283.37 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $276.646 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $299.405 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $258.0B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $245.07 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $243.478 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $252.954 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- wind turbines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, shipbuilding and refurbishment, iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products
- Labor force
- 3.21 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 27.9%
- Note
- note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
- Public debt 2017
- 35.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 0.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 6.542 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 6.287 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 7.076 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 6.89 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 6.894 (2024 est.)
- Economic overview
- high-income, EU-member, trade-oriented Nordic economy; growth driven by pharmaceuticals, energy, and services; large share of employment in public sector; fixed exchange rate pegged to euro; strong fiscal position and declining public debt; tight labor market mitigated by migrant workers and higher retirement age
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.5%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 4.5% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 5.1% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 5.6% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- Germany 13%, USA 10%, Sweden 9%, Netherlands 7%, China 5% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Germany 18%, Sweden 11%, Norway 10%, Netherlands 9%, China 7% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $81,878
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $70,200 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $71,500 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $73,700 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.9%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 1.5% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 2.5% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 3.7% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- milk, wheat, potatoes, barley, sugar beets, pork, rapeseed, rye, oats, chicken (2023)
- Exports commodities
- packaged medicine, fish, vaccines, refined petroleum, pork (2023)
- Imports commodities
- natural gas, cars, garments, packaged medicine, refined petroleum (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $51.8B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- $46.488 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $40.061 billion (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $55.901 billion (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 31.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $429.457 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 45.5% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 22.5% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0.2% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 22.6% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 68% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -59.8% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 12.4% (2021 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 11.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 3.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.8%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 7.7% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 3.3% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 1.4% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 12% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $440.558 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $414.592 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $424.937 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $440.558 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 12.3% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 12.1% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 11.9% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $96.073 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $109.371 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $108.405 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 24% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 64% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 0.7% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 3.6% (2022 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 24.5% (2022 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2022
- 29.3 (2022 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 124,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 1.296 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 1.135 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 63,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 441 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 151,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 16.698 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 19.831 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 35.253 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 20.794 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 1.825 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 8.388 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 8.612 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 2.021 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 2.309 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 29.534 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 98.513 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 57.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 9.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 11.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 21.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 100% (2024 est.)
- Broadcast media
- strong public-sector TV presence, with Danmarks Radio (DR) operating 6 channels and TV2 operating roughly a half-dozen channels; private stations are available via satellite and cable feed; DR operates 4 FM radio stations, 10 digital audio stations, and 14 web-based radio stations; 140 commercial and 187 community (non-commercial) radio stations (2019)
- Internet country code
- .dk
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 698,000 (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 12 (2024 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 7.57 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 127 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 2.65 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 44 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 1
- Small
- 30
- Medium
- 2
- Key ports
- Abenra, Alborg, Arhus, Assens, Augustenborg, Bandholm, Esbjerg, Faborg, Fredericia, Frederikshavn, Haderslev, Holstebro-Stuer, Kalundborg, Kobenhavn, Kolding, Korsor, Marstal, Middelfart, Naestved, Nakskov, Nyborg, Nykobing, Odense, Randers, Ronne, Rudkobing, Sakskobing, Skagen Havn, Sonderborg, Stubbekobing, Studstrup, Svendborg, Vejle
- Very small
- 36
- Total ports
- 69 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 33
- Airports
- 102 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 2,682 km (2020) 876 km electrified
- Heliports
- 29 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 715 (2023)
- BY type
- bulk carrier 15, container ship 132, general cargo 69, oil tanker 107, other 392
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- OY
Environment
- Climate
- temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
Geoparks
- Global geoparks and regional networks
- Odsherred; South Fyn Archipelago; Vestjylland (2024)
- Total global geoparks and regional networks
- 3 (2024)
Land Use
- Other
- 18.5% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 16% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 65.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 59.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 5.6% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 88.5% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.54% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 5.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 54.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 49.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 236.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 4.911 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 35.4% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- air pollution, principally from vehicle and power-plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; water pollution from animal wastes and pesticides
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 382.787 million cubic meters (2022)
- Industrial
- 45.076 million cubic meters (2022)
- Agricultural
- 506.487 million cubic meters (2022)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 29.915 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 4.841 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 2.54 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 22.535 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 10.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 6 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
- Signed, but not ratified
- Antarctic-Environmental Protection
Military & Security
- Military note
- the Danish Armed Forces (Forsvaret) have a variety of missions, including enforcing the country’s sovereignty, monitoring Danish waters and airspace, search and rescue, environmental protection, host nation support for alliance partners, international peacekeeping, fulfilling Denmark’s commitments to NATO, and providing assistance to the police for border control, guard tasks, air surveillance, and during national disasters and other emergencies
NATO has been a cornerstone of Danish security and defense police since it joined in 1949 as one of the organization’s original members under the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty); the Forsvaret regularly exercises with NATO allies and participates in a number of NATO missions, including its Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe, air policing in the Baltics, naval operations in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic, and an advisory mission in Iraq; the Forsvaret leads NATO’s Multinational Division – North (inaugurated 2019), a headquarters based in Latvia that supports the defense planning of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and the coordination of regional military activities, including NATO’s forward deployed forces; it also takes part in other international missions for Europe and the UN ranging from peacekeeping in Africa to protecting Europe's external borders by patrolling the Mediterranean Sea in support of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; Denmark is a member of the EU and voted to join the EU’s Common Defense and Security Policy in a 2022 referendum; the Forsvaret cooperates closely with the militaries of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO; established 2009), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden in such areas as armaments, training and exercises, and operations; it also has a joint composite special operations command with Belgium and the Netherlands
the Forsvaret has an Arctic Command to protect the sovereignty of Denmark in the Arctic region, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, and conducts maritime pollution prevention, environmental monitoring, fishery inspections, search and rescue, and hydrographical surveys, plus support to governmental science missions; there is also a joint service Special Operations Command (SOKOM), which includes the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite unit that patrols the most remote parts of northeast Greenland (2025) - Military deployments
- Denmark contributes air, ground, and naval forces to a variety of international missions, including grounds troops to NATO's forward defenses in Latvia (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.2% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 2% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military expenditures 2025
- 3.2% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Danish Armed Forces (Forsvaret): Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force (2025)
- Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service for men and women; draftees serve 11 months, including five months of basic training, followed by six months in an operational unit (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the Danish military inventory is comprised of modern European, Israeli, US, and domestically produced weapons and equipment; the Danish defense industry is active in the production of naval vessels, defense electronics, and subcomponents of larger weapons systems, such as the US F-35 fighter aircraft; the major warships of the Royal Danish Navy are produced domestically (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 17,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Refugees
- 100,832 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 8,566 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index91.0 / 100as of 2024-Q41 / 190−1.02024-Q4
Civica Pulse−1.3as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.88as of 2024-Q41 / 170−0.012024-Q4
Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—−1.02024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Free press (89/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Denmark — vintage 2026-Q1: Denmark factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/denmark
Sources: Eurostat, FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata