Denmark has really provided steady figures throughout its history and although the population growth is slow and sometimes negative from year to year, it is normally steady and fairly reliable. The organisation that is Statistics Denmark should therefore show that the population should breach the six million mark for the first time within the next ten years.
Unlike some other countries in the world, Denmark has enjoyed a relatively steady growth in population since records began. Back in 1769, it was shown that numbers here had reached 797,584 and by 1787, they had climbed marginally to 841,806.
The population of Denmark had exceeded one million by 1834 when it was claimed that 1,230,964 people were living here. Similar growth continued throughout the 19th century to the point where the Denmark population had climbed to 2,449,540.
That steady but unremarkable increase had generally been the story of Denmark to the point today where it has reached a population of 5,792,318. This population does not include Greenland (56,300) or the Faroe Islands (49,700).
Denmark has provided steady figures throughout its history and although the population growth is slow and sometimes negative from year to year, it is normally steady and fairly reliable. The organization that is Statistics Denmark should, therefore, show that the population should breach the six million mark for the first time within the next ten years. These projections believe that the annual growth rate will decrease from 0.38% in 2020 down to 0.19% by 2050. During this same time period the population of Denmark is expected to be 5,796,800 in 2020, 6,024,516 in 2030, 6,192,283 in 2040 and 6,314,402 by 2050.
| Denmark Population (as of 11/19/2024) | 5,987,913 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 5,977,410 |
| Births per Day | 161 |
| Deaths per Day | 157 |
| Migrations per Day | 70 |
| Net Change per Day | 74 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | 23,976 |
Net increase of 1 person every 19.47 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 8.95 minutes | |
| One death every 9.17 minutes | |
| One immigrant every 20.57 minutes | |
| Net gain of one person every 19.47 minutes |
City | 2024 Pop. |
|---|---|
| Copenhagen | 1,153,615 |
| Arhus | 237,551 |
| Odense | 145,931 |
| Aalborg | 122,219 |
| Frederiksberg | 95,029 |
| Esbjerg | 72,205 |
| Randers | 55,780 |
| Kolding | 55,363 |
| Vejle | 51,177 |
| Horsens | 50,074 |
Denmark is a Scandinavian nation located in northern Europe, that is made up of the main Jutland Peninsula, and over 400 smaller islands totaling 16,577 square miles (42,933 square kilometers,) which ranks 132nd in the world just in terms of size. Of the islands, only 74 are inhabited, and many of these are connected by bridges. The land itself is mostly flat, rolling plains, or dunes and the climate is temperate with mild winters and summers. Using the 2017 population of 5.749 million, Denmark has a population density of 347 people per square mile (134 people per square kilometer), which ranks 65th in the world.
Denmark is an extremely urban nation, with a huge majority of 88% of the population living in or around major metropolitan areas. The largest city and capital of Denmark is Copenhagen, which has an urban population of 1.2 million and a metro population of 1.99 million. The population density in Copenhagen is 6,800 people per square kilometer or 18,000 per square mile. The city is located along the Zealand Island's eastern coast and was once a Viking fishing village. Copenhagen has one of the best universities in Europe and is known as one of the happiest cities in the world. 116 miles northwest of Copenhagen is Denmark's second-largest city, Aarhus, with a population of 237,551. Founded by Vikings in the 8th century, Aarhus is now an industrial port and trade hub and serves as one of the top 100 conference cities in the world. Other notable cities with populations in excess of 100,000 include Odense and Aalborg.
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5,977,410 | 0.55% | 141 | 114 | 87 |
| 2023 | 5,948,140 | 0.53% | 140 | 114 | 88 |
| 2020 | 5,831,530 | 0.29% | 137 | 113 | 88 |
| 2019 | 5,814,620 | 0.36% | 137 | 113 | 88 |
| 2018 | 5,793,820 | 0.5% | 137 | 114 | 88 |
| 2017 | 5,765,170 | 0.65% | 136 | 114 | 87 |
| 2015 | 5,683,700 | 0.48% | 134 | 114 | 87 |
| 2010 | 5,547,860 | 0.47% | 131 | 112 | 86 |
| 2005 | 5,419,560 | 0.3% | 128 | 109 | 82 |
| 2000 | 5,339,660 | 0.4% | 126 | 106 | 79 |
| 1995 | 5,233,360 | 0.36% | 123 | 102 | 77 |
| 1990 | 5,141,020 | 0.11% | 121 | 101 | 74 |
| 1985 | 5,113,880 | -0.04% | 121 | 96 | 71 |
| 1980 | 5,123,080 | 0.25% | 121 | 93 | 66 |
| 1975 | 5,060,400 | 0.53% | 119 | 87 | 64 |
| 1970 | 4,928,670 | 0.7% | 116 | 82 | 62 |
| 1965 | 4,758,840 | 0.77% | 112 | 77 | 57 |
| 1960 | 4,579,340 | 0.63% | 108 | 77 | 51 |
| 1955 | 4,438,840 | 0.79% | 105 | 75 | 50 |
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5,977,410 | 0.55% | 141 | 114 | 87 |
| 2025 | 6,002,510 | 0.58% | 141 | 114 | 87 |
| 2030 | 6,082,000 | 0.26% | 143 | 119 | 90 |
| 2035 | 6,119,810 | 0.12% | 144 | 121 | 92 |
| 2040 | 6,134,660 | 0.05% | 145 | 119 | 91 |
| 2045 | 6,134,660 | 0% | 145 | 119 | 93 |
| 2050 | 6,124,840 | -0.03% | 144 | 118 | 96 |
| 2055 | 6,103,880 | -0.07% | 144 | 118 | 98 |
| 2060 | 6,078,220 | -0.08% | 143 | 119 | 98 |
| 2065 | 6,053,340 | -0.08% | 143 | 119 | 101 |
| 2070 | 6,036,600 | -0.06% | 142 | 119 | 103 |
| 2075 | 6,025,040 | -0.04% | 142 | 118 | 102 |
| 2080 | 6,008,790 | -0.05% | 142 | 118 | 101 |
| 2085 | 5,980,590 | -0.09% | 141 | 120 | 100 |
| 2090 | 5,940,880 | -0.13% | 140 | 120 | 101 |
| 2095 | 5,900,520 | -0.14% | 139 | 119 | 101 |
42
Total
40.9
Male
43.1
Female
There are people over age 18 in Denmark.
Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 January 2021 |
| 2011 | 1 January 2011 |
| 2001 | 1 January 2001 |
| 1991 | 1 January 1991 |
Denmark is the southernmost Nordic country in Northern Europe, where it's bordered by Germany, Norway and Sweden. The Kingdom of Denmark is comprised of the country of Denmark, which consists of Jutland, a peninsula, and a large archipelago, as well as two autonomous constituent countries: Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Nearly 90% of Denmark's population is comprised of people of Danish descent, which means having at least one parent born in the country with Danish citizenship. Most of the remaining 10% are immigrants or the descendants of recent immigrants, most of whom came from Turkey, Somalia, Iraq, South Asia, the Middle East, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. About 34% of the non-Danish citizens have a Western background.
Popular languages in use in among the Denmark population include Danish, Faroese, and Greenlandic. The Denmark population also enjoys a relatively healthy life expectancy rate and it rates 47th in the world in this respect. The overall average is 79.5 years and this can be split between males at 77.1 years and females at 82.1 years.
Denmark is often ranked as one of the world's happiest countries due to its low income inequality and excellent health care and education. Its current position on the World Happiness Report as of 2018 is number 3, with a rating of 7.555 out of 10.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark is the official state religion, and the vast majority of Danes are Christian with 71.7% of the population. Within that figure, 60% are Lutheran, 2.2% are Orthodox, 1.2% are Catholic, and 8.3% of people practice another denomination of Christianity. Although Denmark has an official religion, it is not often brought into politics and many politicians are Atheist. A substantial 25.7% of people in Denmark are either Atheist or Agnostic and the remaining 2.6% of people practice a religion other than Christianity.
The services sector in Denmark dominates the economy and employs 80% of its citizens. The people living there have comfortable living standards, the income per capita is the tenth-highest in the world, and income inequality is fairly minimal. Although the services sector employs most people, trade makes up 50% of the nation's GDP. There is no minimum wage in Denmark and their unemployment is lower than most other countries in the EU.
The government in Denmark operates under the Nordic model, where there are high taxes internationally as well as high levels of government spending. The Danish government is set up as a constitutional monarchy, where the Monarch has central power as well as the executive and legislative power. The parliament, however, is sovereign. The cabinet within in the executive branch is appointed by the monarch, but all executive actions are monitored and balanced by the parliament, known as the Folketing, which has more power than any other parliament in the EU. The Danish judiciary is completely separate from both the Folketing and the monarch.
The country of Denmark has been in existence since at least the 10th century, but it didn't become the constitutional monarchy it is today until 1849. Unlike most countries in Europe, Denmark was neutral throughout both world wars until the Nazis invaded the country in the early 1940s, which the Danish resisted to the best of their ability. Greenland became part of Denmark in 1953 until they were granted in home rule in 1979.