Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Denmark fits inside the United States 229 times.
Denmark: 42,920 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United States’ coastline is 2.7 times as long as Denmark’s.
Denmark: 7,314 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 6,019 m above Denmark’s.
Denmark: 171 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 57 times as many people as Denmark.
Denmark: 6.01 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Denmark is 4 times as densely populated as the United States.
Denmark: 150 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Denmark are 4.9 cm taller than in the United States.
Denmark: 181.9 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Denmark are 6.2 cm taller than in the United States.
Denmark: 169.5 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Denmark is 3.2 years older than in the United States.
Denmark: 41.2 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United States have 0.2 more children on average than in Denmark.
Denmark: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Denmark are 65 or older, versus 18% in the United States.
Denmark: 21.1% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Denmark has produced 20.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the United States 8.7.
Denmark: 20 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
Denmark and the United States are practically level.
Denmark: 1 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 67 times the size of Denmark’s.
Denmark: $463 billion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 8% more per person than Denmark.
Denmark: Int$83,218 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in Denmark (Gini 11.9 points higher).
Denmark: 29.9 (2023) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.5% in Denmark, versus 4.2% in the United States.
Denmark: 5.5% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, Denmark 2.4%.
Denmark: 2.4% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Denmark’s.
Denmark: 92% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 2 times as much on health per person as Denmark.
Denmark: $6,745 (2024) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Denmark live 3.4 years longer than in the United States.
Denmark: 82.3 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 57% more likely to die before turning one than in Denmark.
Denmark: 3.5 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Denmark has 22% more doctors per person than the United States.
Denmark: 4.5 per 1,000 (2021) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 15% in Denmark.
Denmark: 15.2% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
The United States and Denmark are practically level.
Denmark: 15.7% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Denmark rate their lives 0.72 points higher than in the United States.
Denmark: 7.54 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
The United States and Denmark are nearly identical here.
Denmark: 9.5 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 21% more meat per person than Denmark.
Denmark: 101.3 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 213 kcal more food per person per day than Denmark.
Denmark: 3,734 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 409 more hours a year than in Denmark.
Denmark: 1,380 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 0.88 years longer than in Denmark.
Denmark: 13 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Denmark welcomed 11 times as many tourists per resident as the United States (2019).
Denmark: 2.4 (2022) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
100% of people in Denmark are online, versus 95% in the United States.
Denmark: 100% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Denmark and the United States are practically level.
Denmark: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Denmark live in cities, versus 80% in the United States.
Denmark: 89% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Denmark has 127 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113.
Denmark: 127 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 55 times as long as Denmark’s.
Denmark: 2,682 km (2020) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Denmark: no data · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 34% of the United States, but only 16% of Denmark.
Denmark: 15.8% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Denmark.
Denmark: 4.7 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
91% of Denmark’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in the United States.
Denmark: 91.2% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Denmark carries 20% more fine dust than in the United States.
Denmark: 9 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 6.9 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in Denmark.
Denmark: 0.8 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 6.2 times as deadly as in Denmark.
Denmark: 2.3 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The United States is on average 0.7 °C warmer than Denmark.
Denmark: 9.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United States and Denmark are nearly identical here.
Denmark: 845 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Denmark bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. Denmark fits inside the United States 229 times.
Which has more people, Denmark or the United States?
The United States has 57 times as many people as Denmark (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Denmark or the United States?
People in Denmark live 3.4 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Denmark and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in Denmark or the United States?
Men in Denmark are 4.9 cm taller than in the United States (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
