Denmark’s population reaches 6 million residents

On May 1, 2025, Denmark’s population reached a historic turning point with a total of 6,001,008 residents. It is the first time the population has reached 6 million.

“The population of Denmark has reached a historic milestone as we have surpassed 6 million residents for the first time. We have to go all the way back to 1973 when we reached 5 million residents, and now we have to get used to saying that there are 6 million residents in Denmark,” says Jonas Schytz Juul, Director of Population Statistics at Statistics Denmark.

It took 52 years to go from 5 to 6 million residents. In 1973, the population reached 5 million, and since then, growth has continued, primarily driven by net immigration.

Historically, growth in Denmark’s population has been driven by a surplus of births – meaning more births than deaths. But in recent decades, the picture has changed.

“The birth rate in Denmark has been declining in a period when immigration has increased. This means that immigration has had an increased influence on population growth compared to before,” says Jonas Schytz Juul.

Denmark’s population has been growing steadily since 1811 when the country reached 1 million residents. An exception was in the early 1980s when there was a brief decline due to low birth rates. The fastest growth period occurred between 1919 and 1945 when the population increased from 3 to 4 million in 26 years.

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