Last updated on July 20th, 2021
51. Interestingly, Danish babies must have a first name that is on the list of approved names. Moreover, one cannot give a boy a girl’s name or vice versa.[5]
52. An official birth certificate is supplied by the church to the newly born baby which is nearest to the place where the baby is born. This certificate is supplied even if the child is not a Christian.[5]
53. Danes are great believers in free play. They allow their kids to do whatever they want and interrupt only when they think their kids’ life is in danger or they may get injured.[5]
54. Professor of Economics Christian Bjørnskov from Aarhus Business School says that people in Denmark do not spend their money on buying big houses or expensive cars. However, they spend their money on socializing with friends.[3,9]
55. Danes work between 34 and 37 hours a week, which is also the shortest working week for employees.[10]
56. The highest number of persons employed in Denmark are employed in the service sector.[38]
57. The word ‘OverSkud’ means a kind of surplus energy. Another Danish word ‘Smask’ means an annoying noise people make when they eat something.[4]
58. Danes have the worst life expectancy in Western Europe.[29]
59. Denmark has the most living space per capita in Europe. Also, 28% of the Danes light candles every day.[30]
60. In Denmark’s countryside, people leave their cars and bikes unlocked.[4]
61. In Denmark, parents allow their kids as old as 6 or 7 years to commute to school alone on their bicycles.[4]
62. Did you know that Readers Digest did an experiment in 1996 and left some 40 wallets on streets in various locations in some countries? Only in Denmark and Norway the all 40 wallets were returned.[4]
63. The Danes are arguably the most social people on Earth. This is a big reason for their happiness.[30]
64. Denmark ranks second on the list of the happiest countries in the world based on the data accumulated by the Gallup World Poll. Norway tops the list while Switzerland stands on the 3rd spot.[4]
65. Denmark also topped the UN’s 2012 first ever happiness report. In 2017, Denmark was on the second spot after Norway on the first.[22]
66. Danes are the fourth most coffee drinkers (8.7 kg per capita) in Europe. Finland tops the list with Norway on the 2nd spot followed by Iceland on the third.[18]
67. According to 2013 OECD statistics, Danes drink 10.5 liters of pure alcohol per person per year (age 15 years or older.)[19]
68. Interestingly, Danes are happy to engage in political processes way more than any other nation. Their voter turnout stands at 86%, which is among the highest in OECD. The electoral turnout in Denmark is among the highest in Europe. [3,9,35]
69. Babies/children are safe in their strollers outside restaurants or cafes in Denmark. Parents often leave them outside because this is what most of the parents do in the country. Kidnappings are exceedingly rare in Denmark so that couple just need not worry.[14]
70. The country has an ID card system. A unique number is assigned to every Dane since 1968. It is a ten-digit number with the format DDMMYY-SSSS. This unique number is needed to open a bank account, access health care and even for renting a property.[16]
71. Smoking was banned in Danish school in 2007.[52]
72. The annual consumption of confectionery in Denmark is 8.2 kilos per person, making Danes second only to the Finns as the people who eat more sweets than anyone in the world.[53]
73. Majority of the people in Denmark have blue eyes. Scientists have established via research that blue-eyed persons are related to each other. Today, there are more than 300 million people with blue eyes on the planet. In Estonia, 99% of the people have blue eyes while in Germany almost 75% of the population has blue eyes.[32]
74. Danish people do not usually chat with strangers. However, after sometime when they get to know the stranger, they may start interacting.[5]
75. The Art museum Louisiana is the most visited museum in Denmark.[37]
76. Almost 2/3rd of Danish territory comes under agricultural area. Cultivation of cereals dominates the agricultural market in Denmark with 57% of the total area being cultivated with cereals. The production of crops for cattle feeding is the second most important agricultural; activity in the country.[38]
77. If you are a foreigner in Denmark, and you were fined 3000 Kroner or more, you would be disqualified from acquiring Danish citizenship if you had wanted one.[5]
78. In 2016, more than three-quarters of the criminal cases in Copenhagen involved foreigners.[5]
79. Tivoli is a 150 years old amusement park in downtown Copenhagen. It is one of the world’s best amusement park. Tivoli Gardens is the most visited attraction in Denmark, and it is the 3rd most visited amusement park in Europe.[57]
80. Majority of the Danes are not willing to get promoted at work and are happy with their current positions and responsibilities. This is mainly because of the tax burden which does not make it worth working the extra hours or taking the added responsibility.[5]
81. Though Christianity is the official religion of Denmark, religion is a private thing in Denmark. It is considered bad to talk openly about Jesus Christ.[5]
82. Danish names are strongly stratified by age. Thus, it is almost easy to guess a person’s age by their name. Rasmus, Maja, Sofie are the names of younger people while the names of the elderly people generally include Ole, Kinn, Khud etc.[5]
83. Some Danish words have different meanings as compared to their meaning in English speaking countries. For example, if you use the word slut in Denmark, you would mean “finished”. ‘Hug’ in Danish is a ‘Karate chop’. So if you hug someone, you will hurt them. The word ‘student’ in Danish means someone who has finished studying or someone who has passed the test. Moreover, ‘gift’ in Danish means poison. Some Danes also use the word ‘gift’ to mean ‘getting married’.[5]
84. The two words that are often confused to mean the same thing are ‘Dutch’ and ‘Danes’. The Dutch is used for referring to people of the Netherlands while the Danes refer to the people of Denmark.[5]
85. Denmark was recently occupied by Germany in 1940.[5]
86. Did you know that one could be fined by the authorities for biking aggressively in Denmark? Though, you would rarely see the police in Copenhagen.[5]
87. There are plenty of taxes in Denmark and one of these is a church tax. A church tax, however, is optional but the non-payer may be denied the services of a church. And thus, practically everybody pays it.[5]
88. Danes love to sing.[5]
89. It is also noteworthy here that doctors in Denmark are reluctant to prescribe any antibiotic, sleep medication or prescription painkillers. This is mainly due to the side effects of these drugs on a patient’s health.[5]
90. It is illegal to source medicine from another country by ordering it online or by asking someone else to send it to you. You could be fined for the offense or a police record may be opened in your name if you are found guilty.[5]
91. Dentistry is expensive in Denmark, people of the region often go to Poland or Hungary to get their teeth fixed.[5]
92. Denmark also has one of the oldest still active filmmaking company in the world – Nordisk film. It was founded on November 6, 1906, and is the third oldest film studio in the world.[59,60]
93. Bluetooth got its name from Denmark’s 2nd King – Harald Bluetooth.[6]
94. Denmark can also be called as the country of Bacons, Lego, and pastries.[3]
Facts about culture of Denmark
95. Danish people take cleanliness seriously. They like to walk slowly and take time to absorb the surrounding while commuting.[3]
96. Servants are scarce in Denmark. Majority of the population likes to do their own work without any aid. The whole family works together to get the household chores done and this usually is also the scenario in offices where the staff clear their table after lunch themselves.[5]
97. Giving compliment is not in Danish culture. Danes do not compliment each other for their looks or dressing sense.[5]
98. Vacations are a sacred time for Danish. They get more than 5 paid weeks off from their work. Some of these weeks are usually utilized during the summers while others depending on the need of the employee.[5,9]
99. Danes work short hours but they are extremely focused when they show up for work. They are hard workers, we can say.[5]
100. Danish birthdays are the most important in the world. The weather on your birthday reflects your behavior over the past year.[5]
101. Interestingly, in Denmark, it is the birthday boy who buys the cake for his friends and not otherwise. On your birthday, your college would put a Danish flag on your table. It is a tradition in the country.[5]
102. Someone’s 30th, 40th, 50th or 60th birthday is called round birthday. On these birthdays they are expected to throw a party for their friends and loved ones.[5]
103. If you are unmarried by the time you turn 25, cinnamon is sprinkled on you and if you are 30 and still unmarried, they will sprinkle pepper.[5]
104. There is a Great Prayer Day celebrated in Denmark. It usually occurs on the fourth Friday after Easter Sunday. The day was put on the Statute book in 1686. It is a tradition to take a walk on the Great Prayer Day.[54]
105. In Denmark confirmation (a kind of “entrance exam” for participation in religious and social life) at age 14 is an event when kids age 14 take responsibility in a church. Confirmation became a legal requirement after a Danish King Christian VI passed a law in its favor. People are invited to this event and giving a gift of money is the tradition for this day. However, confirmation is not a legal requirement anymore.[55]
106. The day after this day is called Blue Monday. On this day, kids usually spend the money they have collected the previous day on items that they want to buy for themselves.[56]
107. Punctuality plays a significant role in the Danish culture. If you have a meeting with someone at say 11:00 am, you should show up at 11:00 am and not 11:02 am.[5]
108. Everybody uses bikes in Denmark, even executives in grey business suits. New cars are taxed at 150% which is implemented to curb pollution and provide a clean and green environment to the people.
109. People living in Copenhagen use several bikes. Some of these are for sports purposes while others for daily commuting to the office and for other chores. Some people also carry their bike in trains from one location to the other.[5]
110. Danes are very much passionate about design.[5]
111. Hygee (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah) is a Danish word for acknowledging a moment or feeling as cozy or special.[20]
112. Danish houses are kept clean and tidy at all times because looking at something beautiful and well kept makes them happier. It is not surprising to learn that children in Denmark from a young age are taught the importance of functional yet beautiful designs, which reflects in Danish philosophy.[3]
Denmark – country at a glance
| Independence | 5 June 1849 (became a parliamentary constitutional monarchy) |
|---|---|
| Capital City | Copenhagen (55°43′N 12°34′E) |
| Largest City | Copenhagen (55°43′N 12°34′E) |
| Area | total: 43,094 sq km land: 42,434 sq km water: 660 sq km |
| Population | 5,920,767 (2022 est.) |
| Official Language | Danish |
| Borders | Germany |
| Currency | Danish krone (DKK) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Demonym | Danish Dane |
| Religion | Church of Denmark |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.66 Years (2022) Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life. |
| Climate | temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers |
| Terrain | ow and flat to gently rolling plains |
| Mean elevation | 34 m |
| Lowest point | Lammefjord -7 m |
| Highest point | Mollehoj/Ejer Bavnehoj 171 m |
| National anthem | "Der er et yndigt land" (There is a Lovely Land); "Kong Christian" (King Christian) |
| Government type | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Monarch | Margrethe II |
| Prime Minister | Mette Frederiksen |
| National colors | red, white |
| National symbol | lion, mute swan |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, fish, arable land, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand |
| Agricultural land | 63.4% |
| Birth rate | 11.22 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Death rate | 9.52 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Sex ratio | 0.99 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| Industries | wind turbines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, shipbuilding and refurbishment, iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products |
| Exports | $191.53 billion (2020 est.) packaged medicines, electric generators, pork, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines (2019) |
| Imports | $170.33 billion (2020 est.) cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, crude petroleum, broadcasting equipment (2019) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $55,900 (2020 est.) |
| Time Zone | CET (UTC+1) Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2) |
| Internet country code | .dk |
| Drives on the | Right |
| Calling Code | +45 (Denmark) +298 (Faroe Islands) +299 (Greenland) |
| Table last updated | August 6, 2022 |