Denmark

text

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.

text

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)

text

56 00 N, 10 00 E

text

Europe

note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

text

slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts; about two-thirds the size of West Virginia

text

7,314 km

text

temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers

text

low and flat to gently rolling plains

text

petroleum, natural gas, fish, arable land, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand

text

2,420 sq km (2022)

text

population centers tend to be along coastal areas, particularly in Copenhagen and the eastern side of the country's mainland

text

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

text

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

text

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.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represent population by country of origin

text

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.)

text

0.64% (2025 est.)

text

9.81 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

text

10.56 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

text

7.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

text

population centers tend to be along coastal areas, particularly in Copenhagen and the eastern side of the country's mainland

text

1.381 million COPENHAGEN (capital) (2023)

text

29.8 years (2020 est.)

text

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

text

1.5 children born/woman (2025 est.)

text

0.73 (2025 est.)

text

7.24 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

text

2.5 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

text

19.7% (2016)

text

54.3% (2024 est.)

text

air pollution, principally from vehicle and power-plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; water pollution from animal wastes and pesticides

text

temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers

text

10.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

text

6 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

text

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

text

metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (<em>regioner</em>, singular - <em>region</em>); Hovedstaden (Capital), Midtjylland (Central Jutland), Nordjylland (North Jutland), Sjaelland (Zealand), Syddanmark (Southern Denmark)

text

civil law; judicial review of legislative acts

text

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

text

18 years of age; universal

note

<strong>note: </strong>Queen MARGRETHE II abdicated on 14 January 2024, the first Danish monarch to voluntarily abdicate since King ERIC III in 1146

text

The Alternative or AP <br>Conservative People's Party or DKF or C <br>Danish People's Party or DF or O <br>Denmark Democrats or E <br>Green Left or SF or F (formerly Socialist People's Party or SF or F)<br>Liberal Alliance or LA or I <br>Liberal Party (Venstre) or V <br>Moderates or M <br>New Right Party or NB or D <br>Red-Green Alliance (Unity List) or EL <br>Social Democrats or SDP or A <br>Social Liberal Party or SLP or B 

text

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

text

ca. 965 (unified and Christianized under Harald I GORMSSON); 5 June 1849 (became a parliamentary constitutional monarchy)

text

Constitution Day, 5 June (1849)

note

<strong>note:</strong> closest equivalent to a national holiday

text

<strong>description:</strong> 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<br><br><strong>history: </strong>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

note

<strong>note:</strong> Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands subsequently adopted the shifted-cross design

text

lion, mute swan

text

red, white

text

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,<em> </em>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

note

<strong>note:</strong> Denmark is one of only two countries that has two national anthems of equal status (New Zealand is the other)

note

<strong>note:</strong> includes three sites in Greenland

text

<p>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</p>

note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

text

$429.457 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

text

milk, wheat, potatoes, barley, sugar beets, pork, rapeseed, rye, oats, chicken (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

text

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

text

12% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

text

3.21 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

text

12.4% (2021 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

note

<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

note

<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

text

31.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

text

Germany 13%, USA 10%, Sweden 9%, Netherlands 7%, China 5% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

text

packaged medicine, fish, vaccines, refined petroleum, pork (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

text

Germany 18%, Sweden 11%, Norway 10%, Netherlands 9%, China 7% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

text

natural gas, cars, garments, packaged medicine, refined petroleum (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

text

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)

text

.dk

text

OY

text

102 (2025)

text

29 (2025)

text

Danish Armed Forces (Forsvaret): Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force (2025)

text

approximately 17,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)

text

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)

text

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

<strong>note 1: </strong>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<br><strong><br>note 2:</strong> women have been able serve in all military occupations, including combat arms, since 1988; military conscription was extended to women in June 2025

text

Denmark contributes air, ground, and naval forces to a variety of international missions, including grounds troops to NATO's forward defenses in Latvia (2025)

text

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<br><br>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<br><br>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)

text

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force

note

<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide