Page last modified 19 August 2023
Denmark �
Community
Area 43,094 square kilometres (land area 42,434 square kilometres), excluding Faeroe Islands. (38,300 square kilometres before transfer of Schleswig region from Germany to Denmark in 1918)
Population,
800,000 (1770)
1,500,000 (1858)
1,784,781 (1870)
2,185,335 (1890)
2,449,540 (1901)
3,550,656 (1930)
3,844,312 (1940) +8.3%
4,281,275 (1950) +11.4%
4,581,100 (1960) +7.0%
4,931,200 (1970) +7.6%
5,124,000 (1980) +3.9%
5,141,100 (1990) +0.3%
5,341,200 (2000) +3.9%
5,555,000 (2010) +4.0%
5,831,000 (2020) +5.0%
Ethnicity
Danish
(inc Faeroes and Greenland origin),
96.7% (1940)
98.1% (1951)
97.8% (1960)
97.2% (1976)
95.0% (1990)
93.0% (2000)
91.0% (2010)
87.0% (2016)*
*Of the remaining 13%, 10% were immigrants and 3% were Denmark-born descendants of immigrants.
Religion, %
|
|
Christian Lutheran |
Christian R C |
Jewish |
Muslim |
No religion |
|
1900 |
99.2 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
|
1970 |
95.7 |
0.6 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
2.0 |
|
1990 |
89.0 |
|
|
|
9.0 |
|
2002 |
84.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
3.0 |
|
|
2008 |
82.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2017 |
75.9* |
|
|
3.7 |
|
*Despite high nominal Church affiliation, only 19% of Danes consider religion an important part of their lives and just 3% regularly attend Church services.
Birth and death rates Below replacement rate = 2.1
|
|
Fertility Rate |
Birth Rate |
Infant Mortality |
Death Rate |
% Aged Under 15 |
% Aged Over 65 |
% Urban |
|
1800 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.9 |
|
1840 |
4.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1850 |
4.4 |
30.5 (+10.0) |
|
20.5 |
|
|
9.6 |
|
1860 |
4.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1870 |
3.8 |
31.0 (+11.2) |
141.0 |
19.8 |
|
|
|
|
1880 |
3.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1890 |
2.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1900 |
2.3 |
29.7 (+13.9) |
127.0 |
15.8 |
33.9 |
|
24.0 |
|
1910 |
2.3 |
26.3 (+13.3) |
|
13.0 |
|
|
|
|
1920 |
2.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1930 |
2.4 |
18.0 (+7.0) |
71.0 |
11.0 |
|
|
|
|
1940 |
2.2 |
|
48.01 |
|
|
|
64.0 |
|
1950 |
1.9 |
18.0 (+9.0) |
28.0 |
9.0 |
26.3 |
9.1 |
67.3 |
|
1960 |
2.0 |
17.0 (+7.5) |
21.3 |
9.5 |
25.2 |
10.6 |
73.7 |
|
1970 |
2.2 |
15.0 (+5.0) |
14.0 |
10.0 |
23.3 |
12.3 |
79.7 |
|
1980 |
1.5 |
11.0 (0.0) |
8.3 |
11.0 |
20.8 |
14.4 |
83.7 |
|
1990 |
1.7 |
12.0 (+0.1) |
7.4 |
11.9 |
17.1 |
15.6 |
84.8 |
|
2000 |
1.8 |
12.4 (+1.4) |
4.6 |
11.0 |
18.5 |
14.9 |
85.1 |
|
2010 |
1.9 |
11.0 (+1.2) |
3.5 |
9.8 |
18.0 |
16.7 |
86.8 |
|
2015 |
1.7 |
10.2 (+1.0) |
3.6 |
9.2 |
16.8 |
19.0 |
87.7 |
|
2017 |
1.8 |
10.6 (+2.4) |
3.6 |
8.2 |
|
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
3.6 |
|
16.5 |
19.8 |
87.9 |
11944 figure
Life expectancy,
47.3 (F) (1840)
47.4 (F) (1850)
48.4 (F) (1860)
51.5 (F) (1870)
53.3 (F) (1880)
56.5 (F) (1890)
57.7 (1913); 56.2 (M), 59.2 (F)
62.9 (1933); 62.0 (M), 63.8 (F)
71.3 (1950); 69.6 (M), 72.6 (F)
72.2 (1960); 70.4 (M), 74.0 (F)
73.3 (1970); 70.9 (M), 75.9 (F)
74.1 (1980); 71.2 (M), 77.2 (F)
74.8 (1990); 72.0 (M), 77.7 (F)
76.6 (2000); 74.3 (M), 79.0 (F)
79.1 (2010); 77.1 (M), 81.2 (F)
81.0 (2020); 79.0 (M), 82.9 (F)
Population of principal cities, 1,000s MA = Metropolitan Area
|
|
Aalborg |
Aarhus |
COPENHAGEN1 |
Esjberg2 |
Odense |
|
1672 |
4.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
1735 |
4.3 |
|
60 |
|
|
|
1750 |
4.4 |
|
79 |
|
|
|
1835 |
7 |
|
120 |
|
|
|
1850 |
8 |
7 |
135 |
|
|
|
1870 |
12 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
1880 |
14 |
|
273 |
1.5 |
|
|
1890 |
20 |
33 |
375 |
|
30 |
|
1901 |
31 |
52 |
577 |
13 |
40 |
|
1945 |
61 |
107 |
927 |
43 |
92 |
|
1955 |
83 |
119 |
|
51 |
106 |
|
1965 |
100 |
187 |
1,377 |
56 |
133 |
|
1980 |
154 |
246 |
|
80 |
169 |
|
1990 |
157 |
260 |
|
82 |
175 |
|
2000 |
160 |
230 |
1,353 |
82 |
180 |
|
2008 |
193 MA |
298 |
|
114 MA |
187 |
|
2016 |
210 MA |
337 MA |
2,037 MA |
116 MA |
201 MA |
1Copenhagen was a small fishing village, whose name derives from Kaupmanna-havn, the Norse for merchant-harbour.� In 1167 Archbishop Absalon of Roskilde chose it as the site for a new castle.� Copenhagen became the Danish capital in 1443, replacing Roskilde.
2The Esjberg area was sparsely populated until a port was developed here in the 1860s.
Wealth; Gross Domestic Product (nominal values)
|
|
GDP, US$ million |
Total GDP, % of USA |
GDP per capita, US$ |
GDP per capita % of USA |
|
1948 |
3,280 |
1.47 |
781 |
57.79 |
|
1956 |
3,600 |
1.01 |
|
|
|
1960 |
6,250 |
1.15 |
1,365 |
45.39 |
|
1965 |
10,700 |
1.44 |
2,245 |
58.65 |
|
1970 |
16,170 |
1.56 |
3,464 |
66.02 |
|
1975 |
38,470 |
2.35 |
7,611 |
97.33 |
|
1980 |
67,790 |
2.42 |
13,233 |
105.04 |
|
1985 |
59,330 |
1.41 |
11,602 |
63.51 |
|
1990 |
133,360 |
2.30 |
25,946 |
108.31 |
|
1995 |
180,240 |
2.44 |
34,475 |
114.66 |
|
2000 |
162,340 |
1.63 |
30,750 |
84.36 |
|
2005 |
254,400 |
1.94 |
48,800 |
110.14 |
|
2010 |
321,000 |
2.15 |
58,000 |
119.90 |
|
2015 |
301,300 |
1.67 |
53,014 |
94.32 |
|
2016 |
306,700 |
1.65 |
53,417 |
92.25 |
GDP by primary sector
|
|
Agriculture % GDP |
Agriculture % employed |
Industry % GDP |
Industry % employed |
Services % GDP |
Services % employed |
|
1801 |
|
67.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1900 |
38.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1950 |
22.0 |
23.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1960 |
|
17.0 |
|
37.0 |
|
45.0 |
|
1970 |
13.0 |
11.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1980 |
|
7.0 |
|
35.0 |
|
58.0 |
|
1990 |
4.5 |
5.4 |
28.0 |
27.5 |
68.0 |
66.0 |
|
2000 |
2.6 |
4.0 |
27.0 |
25.0 |
70.0 |
70.0 |
|
2010 |
1.3 |
2.5 |
22.8 |
20.2 |
76.1 |
77.3 |
|
2016 |
1.1 |
2.4 |
23.6 |
18.3 |
75.3 |
79.3 |
Communications
Language Official; Danish
Danish, 99.0% (1990, 2010)
Literacy 99.9% (1980 and later)
Physical communications � roads and railways� A road and rail link between Malmo (Sweden) and Copenhagen (Denmark) opened in 2000 (construction began in 1988). First railway in present-day (2017) Danish territory opened in 1847, Copenhagen to Roskilde. The Altona to Kiel railway, opened in 1844, was in Danish territory when built but is now (2017) in German territory.
|
|
Roads (km) |
Motor vehicles |
Cars |
Commercial Vehicles |
Railways (km) (+private) |
% electric |
Stations |
|
1850 |
|
|
|
|
31 |
|
|
|
1860 |
|
|
|
|
109 |
|
|
|
1870 |
|
|
|
|
784 |
|
|
|
1880 |
|
|
|
|
1,538 |
|
|
|
1890 |
|
|
|
|
2,133 |
|
|
|
1900 |
|
|
|
|
3,015 |
|
|
|
1910 |
|
|
|
|
3,814 |
|
|
|
1920 |
|
|
|
|
4,844 |
|
|
|
1930 |
|
|
|
|
5,364 |
|
|
|
1938 |
51,316 |
|
|
|
|
1.6 |
|
|
1944 |
|
30,290 |
|
|
4,860 |
|
|
|
1947 |
|
|
97,886 |
46,116 |
|
|
|
|
1952 |
53,405 |
|
189,288 |
73,407 |
4,770 |
|
|
|
1956 |
|
362,100 |
248,200 |
|
|
|
|
|
1959 |
|
|
345,761 |
147,067 |
2,555 (+1,788) |
|
|
|
1962 |
|
|
547,841 |
205,165 |
2,519 (+1,696) |
|
|
|
1964 |
59,500 |
902,300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1968 |
|
|
942,258 |
253,558 |
|
|
|
|
1977 |
66,550 |
|
1,374,900 |
263,200 |
2,511 |
|
|
|
1978 |
|
|
1,412,651 |
|
|
|
|
|
1988 |
70,488 |
1,897,800 |
1,596,100 |
|
2,471 (+495) |
4.6 |
|
|
1992 |
71,000 |
|
1,605,000 |
297,000 |
|
|
|
|
2002 |
|
|
1,872,631 |
380,000 |
|
|
|
|
2008 |
72,100 |
2,646,000 |
2,068,493 |
521,000 |
2,132 (+514) |
30.0 |
549 |
|
2010 |
73,197 |
2,664,000 |
2,164,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
2013 |
|
2,780,000 |
2,278,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
2015 |
|
|
2,391,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
2017 |
74,558 |
|
|
|
3,476 (all) |
50.5 |
|
|
|
Roads (km) |
Motor vehicles |
Cars |
Commercial Vehicles |
Railways (km) (+private) |
% electric |
|
Urban metro systems, kilometres
Copenhagen Metro, (opened 2002) In 2010 work commenced on a 15 km circle line, to be completed by 2013.
21.0 (2010)
Electronic communications, TV broadcasts began 1951 (colour from 1967)
|
|
Telephones (landlines) |
Mobile Telephones |
Radios |
Televisions |
PCs |
Internet Users |
|
1938 |
442,998 |
|
668,195 |
|
|
|
|
1945 |
|
|
904,610 |
|
|
|
|
1949 |
512,120 |
|
1,057,527 |
|
|
|
|
1951 |
723,443 |
|
1,217,000 |
|
|
|
|
1959 |
766,000 |
|
1,326,000 |
251,000 |
|
|
|
1960 |
|
|
1,523,000 |
|
|
|
|
1963 |
|
|
|
897,122 |
|
|
|
1968 |
1,094,402 |
|
|
1,188,006 |
|
|
|
1977 |
|
|
1,826.000 |
1,719,000 |
|
|
|
1980 |
2,225,774 |
|
1,900,000 |
1,853,000 |
|
|
|
1982 |
|
7,200 |
|
|
|
|
|
1985 |
|
46,100 |
|
|
|
|
|
1988 |
|
|
|
|
300,000 |
|
|
1990 |
2,911,198 |
148,200 |
5,250,000 |
2,750,000 |
590,000 |
|
|
1995 |
|
822,250 |
5,400,000 |
3,000,000 |
1,420,000 |
|
|
1998 |
|
|
|
|
|
1,100,000 |
|
2000 |
3,835,000 |
3,363,500 |
6,200,000 |
|
2,700,000 |
|
|
2004 |
|
5,000,000 |
|
|
3,543,000 |
|
|
2009 |
2,700,000 |
|
|
|
|
4,750,000 |
|
2016 |
1,557,101 |
6,985,000 |
|
|
|
5,424,000 |
|
2017 |
|
|
|
|
|
5,534,770 |
Tourism: Visitors to Denmark,
1,171,000 (1987)
2,124,000 (1995)
3,535,000 (2000)
9,587,000 (2005)
9,425,000 (2010)
10,424,000 (2015)