Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Denmark fits inside Iceland 2.4 times
Denmark: 42,920 km² (2024) · Iceland: 103,000 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Denmark’s coastline is 47% longer than Iceland’s
Denmark: 7,314 km (2026 edition) · Iceland: 4,970 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iceland’s highest peak towers 1,939 m above Denmark’s
Denmark: 171 m (2026 edition) · Iceland: 2,110 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 65% of Denmark, versus 16% of Iceland
Denmark: 65.1% (2024) · Iceland: 16.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Denmark has 15 times as many people as Iceland
Denmark: 6.01 million (2025) · Iceland: 392,404 (2025)
How crowded is it?
Denmark is 39 times as densely populated as Iceland
Denmark: 150 per km² (2025) · Iceland: 4 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Iceland and Denmark are practically level
Denmark: 181.9 cm (2019) · Iceland: 182.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Denmark and Iceland are practically level
Denmark: 169.5 cm (2019) · Iceland: 168.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Denmark is 5.4 years older than in Iceland
Denmark: 41.2 years (2023) · Iceland: 35.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iceland have 0.1 more children on average than in Denmark
Denmark: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · Iceland: 1.56 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Denmark are 65 or older, versus 16% in Iceland
Denmark: 21.1% (2025) · Iceland: 16% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iceland hosts 36% more refugees per resident than Denmark
Denmark: 15.8 per 1,000 (2025) · Iceland: 21.6 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Denmark: 20 (2026) · Iceland: no data
How many official languages?
Denmark and Iceland are practically level
Denmark: 1 (2026) · Iceland: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Denmark’s economy is 12 times the size of Iceland’s
Denmark: $463 billion (2025) · Iceland: $38.6 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Iceland and Denmark are nearly identical here
Denmark: Int$83,218 (2025) · Iceland: Int$83,431 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Denmark than in Iceland (Gini 3.1 points higher)
Denmark: 29.9 (2023) · Iceland: 26.8 (2019)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Denmark and Iceland are practically level
Denmark: 0.4% (2023) · Iceland: 0.1% (2019)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.5% in Denmark, versus 3.6% in Iceland
Denmark: 5.5% (2025) · Iceland: 3.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Denmark spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, Iceland 0%
Denmark: 3.3% (2025) · Iceland: 0% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Denmark’s central government collects 33% of GDP in tax, Iceland’s 23%
Denmark: 33.4% (2024) · Iceland: 23.2% (2023)
How expensive is it?
Iceland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Denmark’s
Denmark: 92% (2025) · Iceland: 118% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Iceland spends 13% more on health per person than Denmark
Denmark: $6,745 (2024) · Iceland: $7,642 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Iceland live 0.56 years longer than in Denmark
Denmark: 82.3 years (2024) · Iceland: 82.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Denmark is 67% more likely to die before turning one than in Iceland
Denmark: 3.5 per 1,000 (2024) · Iceland: 2.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Denmark has 3% more doctors per person than Iceland
Denmark: 4.5 per 1,000 (2021) · Iceland: 4.4 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Iceland has 16% more hospital beds per person than Denmark
Denmark: 2.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Iceland: 2.8 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Iceland is 21% higher than in Denmark
Denmark: 8.6 per 100k (2023) · Iceland: 10.4 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Iceland are obese, versus 15% in Denmark
Denmark: 15.2% (2024) · Iceland: 23.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
16% of adults in Denmark smoke, versus 9.2% in Iceland
Denmark: 15.7% (2024) · Iceland: 9.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
Iceland and Denmark are practically level
Denmark: 7.54 (2025) · Iceland: 7.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Denmark drink 24% more alcohol than in Iceland
Denmark: 9.5 litres (2023) · Iceland: 7.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Denmark has 3% more meat per person than Iceland
Denmark: 101.3 kg (2023) · Iceland: 98.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Denmark has 53 kcal more food per person per day than Iceland
Denmark: 3,734 kcal (2023) · Iceland: 3,681 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iceland put in 72 more hours a year than in Denmark
Denmark: 1,380 hours (2023) · Iceland: 1,452 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Iceland went to school 0.88 years longer than in Denmark
Denmark: 13 years (2023) · Iceland: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iceland welcomed 2.3 times as many tourists per resident as Denmark (2019)
Denmark: 2.4 (2022) · Iceland: 5.58 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
Denmark has 10 more World Heritage sites than Iceland (13 against 3)
Denmark: 13 (2026) · Iceland: 3 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Denmark has won 216 Olympic medals, Iceland 4
Denmark: 216 (2026 edition) · Iceland: 4 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
100% of people in Denmark are online, versus 98% in Iceland
Denmark: 100% (2024) · Iceland: 98% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Iceland is 23% faster than in Denmark
Denmark: 314 Mbps (2026) · Iceland: 385 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Denmark and Iceland are practically level
Denmark: 100% (2024) · Iceland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
94% of people in Iceland live in cities, versus 89% in Denmark
Denmark: 89% (2025) · Iceland: 94% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Denmark has 127 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Iceland 121
Denmark: 127 (2024) · Iceland: 121 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Denmark: 2,682 km (2020) · Iceland: no data
How much do they fly?
Denmark: no data · Iceland: 11.07 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 16% of Denmark, but only 0.6% of Iceland
Denmark: 16% (2024) · Iceland: 0.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iceland emits 2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Denmark
Denmark: 4.7 t (2024) · Iceland: 9.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of Iceland’s electricity is renewable, versus 91% in Denmark
Denmark: 91.2% (2025) · Iceland: 100% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Denmark carries 2 times as much fine dust as in Iceland
Denmark: 9 µg/m³ (2024) · Iceland: 4.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 53% more likely to be murdered in Iceland than in Denmark
Denmark: 0.8 per 100k (2023) · Iceland: 1.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Denmark are 8% deadlier than in Iceland
Denmark: 4.2 per 100k (2023) · Iceland: 3.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Denmark is on average 7.5 °C warmer than Iceland
Denmark: 9.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iceland: 2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Iceland gets 70% more rain than Denmark
Denmark: 845 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Iceland: 1,439 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Denmark bigger than Iceland?
Iceland is larger. Denmark fits inside Iceland 2.4 times.
Which has more people, Denmark or Iceland?
Denmark has 15 times as many people as Iceland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Denmark or Iceland?
People in Iceland live 0.56 years longer than in Denmark. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Denmark and 82.8 in Iceland.
Are people taller in Denmark or Iceland?
Iceland and Denmark are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
