Denmark
Top Sights & Landmarks
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.
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)
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
7,314 km
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
Irrigated land
2,420 sq km (2022)
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
Natural resources
Terrain
low and flat to gently rolling plains
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
9.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
54.3% (2024 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 57.2 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 24.5 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 32.7 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 3.1 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
6.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 14.2% national budget (2022 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.73 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
9.5% of GDP (2022) 17.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
2.5 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Major urban areas - population
1.381 million COPENHAGEN (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
29.8 years (2020 est.)
Nationality
noun: Dane(s) adjective: Danish
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
19.7% (2016)
Physician density
7.24 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Population distribution
population centers tend to be along coastal areas, particularly in Copenhagen and the eastern side of the country's mainland
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 18 years (2023 est.) male: 18 years (2023 est.) female: 19 years (2023 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 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 14.3% (2025 est.) male: 14.4% (2025 est.) female: 14.3% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
Geoparks
total global geoparks and regional networks: 3 (2024) global geoparks and regional networks: Odsherred; South Fyn Archipelago; Vestjylland (2024)
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 88.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.54% annual rate of change (2020-25 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.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
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
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner, singular - region); Hovedstaden (Capital), Midtjylland (Central Jutland), Nordjylland (North Jutland), Sjaelland (Zealand), Syddanmark (Southern Denmark)
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
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark conventional short form: Denmark local long form: Kongeriget Danmark local short form: Danmark 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)
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 18 judges) 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 subordinate courts: Special Court of Indictment and Revision; 2 High Courts; Maritime and Commercial Court; county courts
Legal system
civil law; judicial review of legislative acts
National heritage
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) note: includes three sites in Greenland
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Import Profile
Top Import Partners
Major Import Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
$55.901 billion (2024 est.) $40.061 billion (2023 est.) $46.488 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Exchange rates
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 6.894 (2024 est.) 6.89 (2023 est.) 7.076 (2022 est.) 6.287 (2021 est.) 6.542 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
12% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.4% (2024 est.) 3.3% (2023 est.) 7.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
35.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 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
Remittances
0.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$108.405 billion (2024 est.) $109.371 billion (2023 est.) $96.073 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
31.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Railways
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
approximately 17,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)
Service & Defense Details
Danish Armed Forces (Forsvaret): Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force (2025)
Denmark contributes air, ground, and naval forces to a variety of international missions, including grounds troops to NATO's forward defenses in Latvia (2025)
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)
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)
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) note 1: Denmark has had compulsory military service since 1849; conscripts are chosen by lottery; conscientious objectors can choose to instead serve 6 months in a non-military position, for example in Beredskabsstyrelsen (dealing with non-military disasters like fires, flood, pollution, etc.) or overseas foreign aid work note 2: women have been able serve in all military occupations, including combat arms, since 1988; military conscription was extended to women in June 2025