Overview
Capital: Copenhagen
Official EU language(s): Danish
EU Member State: since 1 January 1973
Currency: Danish krone DKK. Denmark has negotiated an opt-out from the euro and thus is not obliged to introduce it.
Schengen: member since 25 March 2001
Figures:
- Geographical size: 42 925 km2
- Population: 5 961 249 (2024)
(Source: Eurostat - figures for geographical size and population)
Political system
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. It has a representative parliamentary system with a prime minister, who is the head of government, and a monarch, who is the head of state but whose duties are strictly representative and ceremonial. The kingdom also comprises 2 autonomous constituent countries in the Atlantic, neither of which are EU members: the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Trade and economy
Denmark ranks fourth in the European Union in terms of GDP per capita with €48 000, well above the EU average (€37 600). It accounts for 2.2% of the EU's total GDP.
(Source: Eurostat - figures for GDP per capita and GDP)
(Source: Eurostat - figures for exports and imports)
There are 15 representatives from Denmark in the European Parliament. Find out who these Members of the European Parliament are and follow the activities of the European Parliament’s office in Denmark.
In the Council of the EU, national ministers meet regularly to adopt EU laws and coordinate policies. Representatives from the Danish government attend Council meetings focused on their area of responsibility several times a year.
The Council of the EU does not have a permanent, single-person president (like the Commission or Parliament). Instead, its work is led by the country holding the Council presidency, which rotates every 6 months.
During these 6 months, ministers from that country's government chair and help determine the agenda of Council meetings in the different policy areas, and facilitate dialogue with the other EU institutions.
Dates of Danish presidencies:
Jul-Dec 1973 | Jan-Jun 1978 | Jul-Dec 1982 | Jul-Dec 1987 | Jan-Jun 1993 | Jul-Dec 2002 | Jan-Jun 2012 | Jul-Dec 2025
The European Commissioner nominated by Denmark is Margrethe Vestager, who is the Executive Vice-President responsible for A Europe fit for the Digital Age and also in charge of competition policy.
The Commission is represented in each EU country by a local office, called a "representation". Find out more about the Commission's representation in Denmark.
Denmark has 9 representatives on the European Economic and Social Committee. This advisory body – representing employers, workers and other interest groups – is consulted on proposed laws, to get a better idea of the possible changes to work and social situations in different countries.
Denmark has 9 representatives on the European Committee of the Regions, the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives. This advisory body is consulted on proposed laws, to ensure these laws take account of the perspective from each region of the EU.
Denmark also communicates with the EU institutions through its permanent representation in Brussels. As Denmark's "embassy to the EU", its main task is to ensure that the country's interests and policies are heard and pursued as much as possible in the EU.
Budgets and funding
How much does Denmark pay and receive from the EU?
The EU budget is the tool to ensure that Europe remains a democratic, peaceful, prosperous and competitive force. The EU uses it to finance its priorities and big projects that most individual EU countries could not finance on their own.
The benefits of EU membership significantly exceed the size of the EU budget contributions and the examples are many. All Member States benefit from being part of the Single Market, a shared approach to the common challenges of migration, terrorism and climate change, and concrete gains like better transport infrastructure, modernised and digitalised public services and cutting-edge medical treatment.
How much each EU country pays into the EU budget is calculated fairly. The larger your country's economy, the more it pays – and vice versa.
The EU budget is not about giving and taking – it’s about collectively contributing to making Europe and the world a better place for us all.
EU budget spending and revenue per country and per year
EU-funded projects in Denmark
Money from the EU budget helps fund programmes and projects in all EU countries – for example to build roads, subsidise researchers and protect the environment.
Find out more about how Denmark benefits from EU funding and recovery funds in your country or region.