Denmark
Name
| Official name | Kingdom of Denmark — Kongeriget Danmark |
|---|---|
| The Realm | Denmark proper, the Faroe Islands (home rule 1948) and Greenland (home rule 1979, self-rule 2009) — the Rigsfællesskabet, one kingdom of three nations |
| Demonym | Danish; Dane |
| Meaning of the name | Danmark — "the border-land" or "march of the Danes"; on the Jelling stone of the 960s |
| Motto | None for the state; the King's own motto — Frederik X: "Forbundne, forpligtet, for Kongeriget Danmark," united, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark |
Quick facts
| Capital | Copenhagen — København — the capital since 1443; about 660,000 in the municipality, 1.4 million in the urban area, 2.1 million in the region |
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| Largest cities | Copenhagen; Aarhus, about 300,000; Odense; Aalborg; Esbjerg; Randers; Kolding; Nuuk in Greenland, about 20,000; Tórshavn in the Faroes |
| Official language | Danish; Faroese and Greenlandic official in their nations; German recognized in South Jutland; English spoken by nearly all |
| Currency | Danish krone — ISO code DKK, kr.; pegged to the euro at 7.46038; the Faroese króna at par |
| Time zones | Central European Time, UTC+1, summer time UTC+2; the Faroes UTC±0; Greenland UTC−2, with −1, −3 and −4 in parts |
| Calling code | +45; the Faroes +298; Greenland +299 |
| Internet domains | .dk; .fo and .gl |
| ISO 3166 codes | DK · DNK · 208; the Faroes FO, Greenland GL |
| Vehicle registration code | DK |
| Driving side | Right |
| Electricity | 230 V, 50 Hz; plug types C, E, F and K |
| Founded | A kingdom by the 10th century — Gorm the Old and Harald Bluetooth, about 958; the oldest continuous monarchy in Europe |
| National days | 5 June, Constitution Day; 15 June, Valdemar's Day, for the flag of 1219; 16 April, the King's birthday; 5 May, Liberation Day, for 1945 |
| Constitution | 5 June 1953 — the fifth revision of the constitution of 5 June 1849, which ended absolute monarchy; a single-chamber parliament since 1953 |
| Population | About 6.0 million in Denmark proper (Statistics Denmark, 2025) — passed 6 million in 2025; about 57,000 in Greenland and 55,000 in the Faroes |
| Area | 43,094 km² (16,639 sq mi) for Denmark proper — land 42,434 km², water 660 km²; the Kingdom 2,210,579 km² with Greenland, 2,166,086 km², and the Faroes, 1,399 km² |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | The Dannebrog — a white Nordic cross on red, its arms offset toward the hoist: by legend fallen from the sky at the Battle of Lyndanisse in Estonia on 15 June 1219, and the oldest continuously used national flag in the world; the pattern of every Nordic flag since.Flag of Denmark |
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| Coat of arms | Three crowned blue lions on gold among nine red hearts — the arms of the Danish kings since the 1190s; the greater arms of the monarch add the Faroes' ram, Greenland's polar bear and the ancient claims |
| National anthem | "Der er et yndigt land" ("There Is a Lovely Land") — words by Adam Oehlenschläger, 1819, music by Hans Ernst Krøyer, 1835; the royal anthem "Kong Christian stod ved højen mast," 1780 |
| National colors | Red and white |
| National bird | The mute swan — chosen by public vote in 1984, in place of the skylark |
| National tree | The beech — chosen by public vote in 1989 |
| National flower | The marguerite daisy — the flower of Queen Margrethe; widely cited, none designated |
| National dish | Stegt flæsk med persillesovs — fried pork belly with parsley sauce — chosen by public vote in 2014; smørrebrød; widely cited |
| Symbol status | The flag and arms are fixed by royal decree and law; the anthem by custom; the bird, tree and dish by public votes; the flower widely cited |
Geography
| Location | Northern Europe — the Jutland peninsula north of Germany and the islands between the North Sea and the Baltic, at the mouth of the Baltic; Sweden across the Øresund, Norway across the Skagerrak |
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| Land border | 140 km (87 mi) with Germany — the only land border of Denmark proper |
| Coastline | 7,314 km (4,545 mi) — no point more than 52 km from the sea; Greenland's coast 44,087 km more |
| Islands | Some 443 named islands, 78 inhabited — Zealand, the largest, with Copenhagen; North Jutlandic Island; Funen with Odense; Lolland; Bornholm in the Baltic; Falster; Møn; and Greenland, the largest island in the world |
| Highest point | Møllehøj, 170.86 m (561 ft), Jutland — Denmark proper; Gunnbjørn Fjeld, 3,694 m, in Greenland; Slættaratindur, 880 m, in the Faroes |
| Lowest point | The Lammefjord, 7 m (23 ft) below sea level, on Zealand |
| Mean elevation | 34 m (112 ft) — among the flattest countries in the world |
| Rivers and lakes | The Gudenå, the longest, 176 km, through Jutland; Arresø, the largest lake, about 40 km²; the fjords of Limfjord and Roskilde |
| Terrain | Low and flat to gently rolling — the moraines of the last ice age; the dunes and heath of West Jutland; the white cliffs of Møn and Stevns; the rocks of Bornholm |
| Climate | Temperate oceanic — mild wet winters, cool summers, wind from the west |
| Natural hazards | Storm surges on the North Sea and the Baltic; the flood of 1872; the storm of October 2023 |
| Natural resources | Oil and gas in the North Sea, ending; wind; fish; chalk, limestone, gravel, salt; the farmland — about 60% cultivated |
| Land use | Agricultural land about 63% — the highest share in Europe; forest about 15% |
| National parks | 5 in Denmark proper — Thy (2008), the first; Mols Bjerge; the Wadden Sea; Skjoldungernes Land; Kongernes Nordsjælland; Northeast Greenland National Park, 972,000 km², the largest in the world |
| UNESCO World Heritage | 11 — the Jelling mounds, runic stones and church (1994); Roskilde Cathedral (1995); Kronborg Castle (2000); the Wadden Sea (2009, shared); Stevns Klint (2014); Christiansfeld (2015); the par force hunting landscape of North Zealand (2015); the Viking-Age ring fortresses (2023); and in Greenland the Ilulissat Icefjord (2004), Kujataa (2017) and Aasivissuit–Nipisat (2018) |
| Administrative divisions | 5 regions since 2007 — the Capital, Zealand, Southern Denmark, Central Jutland and North Jutland — and 98 municipalities; the Faroes and Greenland govern themselves |
People
| Population | About 6.0 million (2025) in Denmark proper |
|---|---|
| Population density | About 140 per km² (360 per sq mi) |
| Population growth | About 0.5% a year — by immigration |
| Median age | About 42 years |
| Life expectancy | About 82 years |
| Fertility rate | About 1.5 births per woman |
| Urban population | About 89% |
| Adult literacy | About 99% |
| Origin | Danish origin about 84%; immigrants and their descendants about 16% — from Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, Syria, Germany, Iraq and the other Nordic countries; about 5% from the Faroes, Greenland and their descendants counted as Danish |
| Languages | Danish; Faroese and Greenlandic in the nations; German in South Jutland; English by about 90% |
| Religion | The Church of Denmark, Evangelical Lutheran, the established church — about 70% members; Muslim about 5%; Catholic about 1%; most Danes secular in practice |
| Human Development Index | 0.962 (2023 data, 2025 report) — very high; 4th of 193 |
| Happiness | Among the top three of the World Happiness Report every year since 2012; the least corrupt country in the world by the Corruption Perceptions Index |
| Sport | Football — the Euro 1992 title; handball — the men world champions four times running, 2019–2025; badminton — Viktor Axelsen; cycling — Jonas Vingegaard's Tours of 2022 and 2023; sailing; the Copenhagen Marathon |
| Diaspora | About 250,000 Danes abroad; some 1.5 million Americans of Danish descent |
Government
| Form of government | Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy under the Constitution of 1953 — the monarch head of state, the prime minister head of government, answerable to the Folketing |
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| Monarch | King Frederik X, since 14 January 2024 — on the abdication of Queen Margrethe II after 52 years, the first abdication since 1146; born 26 May 1968; Queen Mary, born in Tasmania; Crown Prince Christian, born 15 October 2005 |
| Prime Minister | Mette Frederiksen (Social Democrats), since 27 June 2019 — the second woman in the office, born 19 November 1977; leader of the Social Democrats since 2015 |
| The 2026 election | Held 24 March 2026, seven months early: the Social Democrats 21.85% and 38 seats — their weakest since 1903, down twelve; the Green Left 11.59% and 20; Venstre 10.14% and 18; the Liberal Alliance 9.37% and 16; the Danish People's Party 9.10% and 16, up eleven; the Moderates 7.68% and 14; the Conservatives 7.59% and 13; the Red–Green Alliance 6.34% and 11; the Social Liberals 5.82% and 10; the Denmark Democrats 5.75% and 10; the Alternative 2.58% and 5; turnout 83.99%; the first election of Frederik X's reign |
| The government | Frederiksen III, appointed by the King after the coalition announced on 1 June 2026 — the Social Democrats, the Green Left, the Social Liberals and the Moderates, a minority coalition of 82 of 179 seats; the second Frederiksen cabinet of 2022–26, with Venstre and the Moderates, lost its majority in the election |
| Parliament | The Folketing — 179 members elected for four years by proportional representation, 175 from Denmark proper and 2 each from Greenland and the Faroes; Søren Gade its speaker since 2022; the threshold 2% |
| The next election | Due by 23 March 2030 |
| Greenland | A self-governing nation of the Realm since the self-rule act of 21 June 2009, with the right to independence by referendum; the United States, which has held Thule Air Base since 1951, called for its acquisition in 2019 and, under President Trump, from January 2025 and again in 2026, by purchase or otherwise; Denmark and Greenland reject any transfer and say the future is for Greenlanders to decide; the issue dominated the start of the 2026 campaign |
| Defense | The Danish Defence — about 20,000 active; defense spending lifted above 3% of GDP in 2025 through the Acceleration Fund; conscription extended to women by the law of 2025, the first lottery in 2026; a founding member of NATO |
| Legal system | Civil law; the Supreme Court; no constitutional court |
| Regions | 5, each with an elected council, responsible for hospitals; 98 municipalities |
| European Union | Member since 1 January 1973 — with opt-outs on the euro and justice; the defense opt-out ended by the referendum of 1 June 2022, 66.9% for; the EU Council presidency of July–December 2025 |
| NATO | A founding member, 4 April 1949 |
| United Nations | A founding member, 24 October 1945; a Security Council seat for 2025–26 |
| Other memberships | The Nordic Council (1952), the Council of Europe, the OECD, the OSCE, the Arctic Council, the WTO |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | About US$430 billion (2025, IMF) |
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| GDP per capita | About US$72,000 (2025) — among the ten highest in the world |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | About US$85,000 (2025) |
| GDP growth | About 3% in 2024 and 2025 — most of it pharmaceuticals |
| Economy by sector | Services about 75%, industry about 23%, agriculture about 1% |
| Currency | Danish krone (DKK), pegged to the euro |
| Pharmaceuticals | Novo Nordisk of Bagsværd — the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, briefly the most valuable company in Europe in 2024, its shares halved in 2025; medicines about a quarter of exports; Lundbeck, Genmab, LEO Pharma |
| Shipping | A.P. Møller–Maersk, the second-largest container line in the world; Denmark among the ten largest shipping nations by tonnage |
| Wind | Vestas, the largest wind-turbine maker in the world; Ørsted, the largest offshore-wind developer; wind about 55% of electricity, the first offshore wind farm at Vindeby in 1991 |
| Other industry | Lego of Billund; Carlsberg; Danish Crown and Arla — pork and dairy, among the largest exporters of pork; Danfoss, Grundfos; Pandora; ISS |
| Labor | Flexicurity — easy hiring and firing with high benefits; unemployment about 3%; union membership about 65%; no statutory minimum wage |
| Public finances | Among the highest tax burdens in the world, about 45% of GDP; public debt about 30% of GDP, among the lowest in the EU; a AAA rating |
| Income classification | High income (World Bank); an OECD founder |
Transport & infrastructure
| Main airport | Copenhagen Airport at Kastrup — about 30 million passengers, the busiest in the Nordic countries; Billund; Aalborg; Aarhus |
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| Airline | SAS, the Scandinavian carrier, based at Copenhagen, owned with Air France–KLM since 2024 |
| Main ports | Aarhus, the largest container port; Copenhagen–Malmö; Esbjerg, the base of the North Sea wind industry; Fredericia; the ferries of Rødby and Hirtshals |
| Bridges and tunnels | The Great Belt Fixed Link, 18 km, opened 1998, joining Zealand and Funen; the Øresund Bridge, 16 km, opened 1 July 2000, to Sweden; the Fehmarn Belt tunnel to Germany, 18 km, the longest immersed tunnel in the world, opening 2029 |
| Railways | About 2,600 km (1,600 mi) — DSB the operator; electrification and the new signaling under way; Copenhagen–Aarhus in under three hours |
| Roads | About 75,000 km (46,600 mi); about 1,300 km of motorways; the E45 down Jutland and the E20 across the islands |
| Copenhagen | The Metro, driverless since 2002, four lines; the S-train; bicycles — about half of commuters ride, on 400 km of cycle lanes |
History in dates
| c. 793 | The Viking Age opens — Lindisfarne |
|---|---|
| c. 958 | Gorm the Old dies; Harald Bluetooth unites the Danes and takes Christianity, about 965 — the Jelling stones |
| 1016 | Cnut the Great king of England; the North Sea Empire |
| 1219 | The Dannebrog falls from the sky at Lyndanisse, 15 June — by legend |
| 1397 | The Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden under Margrethe I |
| 1536 | The Reformation; the Lutheran church |
| 1660 | Absolute monarchy under Frederik III |
| 1801 · 1807 | The British bombard Copenhagen |
| 1814 | Norway ceded to Sweden by the Treaty of Kiel, 14 January |
| 1849 | The Constitution, 5 June — the end of absolutism |
| 1864 | Schleswig and Holstein lost to Prussia and Austria |
| 1915 | Women win the vote, 5 June |
| 1920 | North Schleswig returns after a plebiscite |
| 1940 | Germany occupies Denmark, 9 April |
| 1943 | The rescue of the Danish Jews to Sweden, October |
| 1949 | A founder of NATO, 4 April |
| 1973 | The European Community, 1 January |
| 1979 | Greenland home rule, 1 May |
| 2000 | The euro rejected, 28 September; the Øresund Bridge, 1 July |
| 2009 | Greenland self-rule, 21 June |
| 2022 | The defense opt-out ended, 1 June |
| 2024 | Margrethe II abdicates; Frederik X king, 14 January |
| 2025 | The U.S. calls for Greenland, January; the EU presidency, July–December |
| 2026 | The election of 24 March; Frederiksen's third government, June |
Records & firsts
| The oldest flag in continuous use | The Dannebrog, 1219 |
|---|---|
| The oldest monarchy in Europe | From Gorm the Old, about 958 |
| The happiest | Top three of the World Happiness Report every year since 2012 |
| The least corrupt | First on the Corruption Perceptions Index |
| The first offshore wind farm | Vindeby, 1991 |
| The largest island | Greenland, 2,166,086 km² |
| The largest national park | Northeast Greenland, 972,000 km² |
| The oldest amusement parks | Bakken, 1583, and Tivoli, 1843 |
| Bluetooth | Named for King Harald Bluetooth, 1997 |
| Lego | From Billund since 1932 — the brick of 1958 |
| The first registered partnerships for same-sex couples | 1989 |
| The longest immersed tunnel | The Fehmarn Belt, 18 km, opening 2029 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the official name of Denmark?
The Kingdom of Denmark — Kongeriget Danmark — a realm of three parts: Denmark proper, and the self-governing nations of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, the Danish Realm or Rigsfællesskabet. The name is the "march of the Danes," recorded on the Jelling stone of King Harald Bluetooth in the 960s, the oldest written mention of the country; the monarchy traces itself to Gorm the Old in the 10th century, the oldest continuous monarchy in Europe.
What is the capital of Denmark?
Copenhagen — København, "the merchants' harbor" — on the islands of Zealand and Amager at the Øresund, the capital since 1443, with about 660,000 people in the municipality, 1.4 million in the urban area and 2.1 million in the region, a third of the country; joined to Malmö in Sweden by the Øresund Bridge since 2000. Aarhus on Jutland is the second city; Odense, Aalborg and Esbjerg follow.
How big is Denmark, and how many people live there?
Denmark proper is about 43,094 km² (16,639 sq mi) — a little smaller than Estonia, twice the size of Massachusetts — the Jutland peninsula and some 400 islands, 78 of them inhabited, with 7,314 km of coast and nowhere more than 52 km from the sea. With Greenland, the largest island in the world at 2,166,086 km², and the Faroes, the Kingdom is the twelfth-largest state on earth. Statistics Denmark counts about 6.0 million people in Denmark proper, with about 57,000 in Greenland and 55,000 in the Faroes.
What are the highest and lowest points of Denmark?
Møllehøj, 170.86 m (561 ft), a hill in eastern Jutland confirmed as the highest natural point only in 2005, and the drained Lammefjord on Zealand, 7 m (23 ft) below sea level — Denmark proper is among the flattest countries in the world, its mean elevation 34 m. Greenland is another matter: Gunnbjørn Fjeld there rises to 3,694 m, the highest peak in the Arctic.
What currency does Denmark use?
The Danish krone (ISO code DKK, kr.), pegged to the euro at 7.46038 within a narrow band since 1999 — Denmark kept its opt-out from the euro in the referendum of 2000, and the peg is the oldest of any currency to the euro. The Faroes issue their own króna notes at par. Clocks keep Central European Time, UTC+1, with summer time; Greenland keeps UTC−2 and the Faroes UTC±0.
Who governs Denmark?
King Frederik X, on the throne since 14 January 2024, when his mother Margrethe II abdicated after 52 years, reigns; Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of the Social Democrats, in office since 27 June 2019, governs. She called a snap election for 24 March 2026, seven months early, on the strength of her stand against the United States over Greenland; her party won the most seats but its lowest share since 1903, 21.9 percent and 38 of 179, while the Danish People's Party more than doubled to 16. After three rounds of talks she formed her third government on 1 June 2026, a minority coalition of the Social Democrats, the Green Left, the Social Liberals and the Moderates holding 82 seats. The next election is due by March 2030.
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