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.

Area
Total: 43,094 km²
Land: 42,434 km²
Water: 660 km²
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
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts; about two-thirds the size of West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 141 km
Border countries (2): (2) Germany 140 km; Canada 1.3 km

Coastline: 7,314 km

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

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

Terrain: low and flat to gently rolling plains

Elevation
Highest point: Store Mollehoj 171 m
Lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m
Mean elevation: 34 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 65.5% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 59.1% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 5.6% (2023 est.)
Forest: 16% (2023 est.)
Other: 18.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,420 km² (2022)

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

Population
Total: 5,973,136 (2024 est.)
Male: 2,975,261
Female: 2,997,875
Distribution: population centers tend to be along coastal areas, particularly in Copenhagen and the eastern side of the country's mainland
Growth rate: 0.44% (2024 est.)

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.)

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)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 57.2 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 24.7 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 32.5 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.1 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 42.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 41 years
Female: 43.4 years

Population growth rate: 0.44% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 11.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 88.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.54% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.381 million COPENHAGEN (capital) (2023)

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.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 80.2 years
Female: 84.1 years

Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.6% (2024 est.); 5.1% (2023 est.); 4.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Copenhagen
Geographic coordinates: 55 40 N, 12 35 E
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
Etymology: name derives from the Danish words køber (merchant or buyer) and havn (harbor or port)

Administrative divisions: metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner, singular - region); Hovedstaden (Capital), Midtjylland (Central Jutland), Nordjylland (North Jutland), Sjaelland (Zealand), Syddanmark (Southern Denmark)

Legal system: civil law; judicial review of legislative acts

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: King FREDERIK X (since 14 January 2024)
Head of government: Prime Minister Mette FREDERIKSEN (since 27 June 2019)
Cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch
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
Note: Queen MARGRETHE II abdicated on 14 January 2024, the first Danish monarch to voluntarily abdicate since King ERIC III in 1146

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament (Folketinget)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Chamber name: The Danish Parliament (Folketinget)
Number of seats: 179 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years
Most recent election date: 11/1/2022
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)
Percentage of women in chamber: 43.6%
Expected date of next election: October 2026

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

National anthem
Title: “Kong Christian stod ved højen mast” (King Christian Stood by the Lofty Mast)
Lyrics/music: Johannes EWALD/unknown
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
Note: Denmark is one of only two countries that has two national anthems of equal status (New Zealand is the other)

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 12 (8 cultural, 4 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:
Note: includes three sites in Greenland

Real gdp growth rate: 3.7% (2024 est.); 2.5% (2023 est.); 1.5% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 3.7% (2024 est.); 2.5% (2023 est.); 1.5% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 45.5% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 22.5% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.6% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 68% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -59.8% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.7% (2024 est.)
Industry: 24% (2024 est.)
Services: 64% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: 12% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 3.21 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 5.6% (2024 est.); 5.1% (2023 est.); 4.5% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.6% (2024 est.); 5.1% (2023 est.); 4.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $149.393 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $136.662 billion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 31.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $299.405 billion (2024 est.); $276.646 billion (2023 est.); $283.37 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: packaged medicine, fish, vaccines, refined petroleum, pork (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $252.954 billion (2024 est.); $243.478 billion (2023 est.); $245.07 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: natural gas, cars, garments, packaged medicine, refined petroleum (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 20.794 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 35.253 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 16.698 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 19.831 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 1.825 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 11.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 9.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 57.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 21.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 1.135 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 124,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 1.296 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 63,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 151,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 441 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 2.021 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 2.309 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 8.388 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 8.612 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 29.534 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 29.915 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 2.54 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 22.535 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 4.841 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 98.513 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 755,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 7.5 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 127 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 100% (2024 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 2.65 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 44 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (2025 est.); 2.3% of GDP (2024 est.); 2% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)

Airports: 102 (2025)

Heliports: 29 (2025)

Railways
Total: 2,682 km (2020) 876 km electrified

Merchant marine
Total: 715 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 15, container ship 132, general cargo 69, oil tanker 107, other 392