Denmark

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.

• 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)

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

• 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

noun:

Dane(s)

adjective:

Danish

total:

42.2 years (2025 est.)

male:

41 years

female:

43.4 years

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.)

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

total population:

82.1 years (2024 est.)

male:

80.2 years

female:

84.1 years

total:

9.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

3.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

4.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

1.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

14.3% (2025 est.)

male:

14.4% (2025 est.)

female:

14.3% (2025 est.)

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

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

urban population:

88.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.54% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

49.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

236.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

54.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

5.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

4.911 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

35.4% (2022 est.)

municipal:

382.787 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

45.076 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

506.487 million cubic meters (2022)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

3 (2024)

global geoparks and regional networks:

• Odsherred;
• South Fyn Archipelago;
• Vestjylland (2024)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

• 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Jesper Møller SØRENSEN (since 15 September 2023)

chancery:

3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-4300

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-1470

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://usa.um.dk/en

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Houston, New York, Silicon Valley (CA)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Kenneth A. HOWERY (since 5 November 2025)

embassy:

Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Kobenhavn 0

mailing address:

5280 Copenhagen Place, Washington DC 20521-5280

telephone:

[45] 33-41-71-00

FAX:

[45] 35-43-02-23

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://dk.usembassy.gov/

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

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

• 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

title:

"Der er et yndigt land" (There is a Lovely Country)

lyrics/music:

Adam Gottlob OEHLENSCHLAGER/Hans Ernst KROYER; Johannes EWALD/unknown

history:

adopted 1844; 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)

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

• 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

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

total:

12.1% (2024 est.)

male:

12.3% (2024 est.)

female:

11.9% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

11.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.6% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

24.5% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

1.135 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

124,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

1.296 million metric tons (2023 est.)

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.)

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.)

• 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)

total ports:

69 (2024)

large:

1

medium:

2

small:

30

very small:

36

ports with oil terminals:

33

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

• 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)

refugees:

100,832 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

8,566 (2024 est.)