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Denmark vs. Germany

Introduction

DenmarkGermany
Background

Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the EU's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union, European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.

As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating world wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key western economic and security organizations, the EC (now the EU) and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German reunification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.

Geography

DenmarkGermany
LocationNorthern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes several major islands (Sjaelland, Fyn, and Bornholm)Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Geographic coordinates56 00 N, 10 00 E51 00 N, 9 00 E
Map referencesEuropeEurope
Areatotal: 43,094 sq km

land: 42,434 sq km

water: 660 sq km

note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
total: 357,022 sq km

land: 348,672 sq km

water: 8,350 sq km
Area - comparativeslightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts; about two-thirds the size of West Virginiathree times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundariestotal: 140 km

border countries (1): Germany 140 km
total: 3,694 km

border countries (9): Austria 801 km, Belgium 133 km, Czechia 704 km, Denmark 140 km, France 418 km, Luxembourg 128 km, Netherlands 575 km, Poland 447 km, Switzerland 348 km
Coastline7,314 km2,389 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climatetemperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summerstemperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
Terrainlow and flat to gently rolling plainslowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Elevation extremeshighest point: Mollehoj/Ejer Bavnehoj 171 m

lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m

mean elevation: 34 m
highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m

lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.5 m

mean elevation: 263 m
Natural resourcespetroleum, natural gas, fish, arable land, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sandcoal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
Land useagricultural land: 63.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 58.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 4.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 12.9% (2018 est.)

other: 23.7% (2018 est.)

note: highest percentage of arable land for any country in the world
agricultural land: 48% (2018 est.)

arable land: 34.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 13.3% (2018 est.)

forest: 31.8% (2018 est.)

other: 20.2% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land4,350 sq km (2012)6,500 sq km (2012)
Natural hazardsflooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikesflooding
Environment - current issuesair pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides; much of country's household and industrial waste is recycledemissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power by 2022; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protection
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - notecomposed of the Jutland Peninsula and a group of more than 400 islands (Danish Archipelago); controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagenstrategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea; most major rivers in Germany - the Rhine, Weser, Oder, Elbe - flow northward; the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest, flows eastward
Total renewable water resources6 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)154 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionwith excellent access to the North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, and the Baltic Sea, population centers tend to be along coastal areas, particularly in Copenhagen and the eastern side of the country's mainlandmost populous country in Europe; a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia

Demographics

DenmarkGermany
Population5,894,687 (July 2021 est.)79,903,481 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 16.42% (male 494,806/female 469,005)

15-24 years: 12.33% (male 370,557/female 352,977)

25-54 years: 38.71% (male 1,149,991/female 1,122,016)

55-64 years: 12.63% (male 370,338/female 371,149)

65 years and over: 19.91% (male 538,096/female 630,475) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 12.89% (male 5,302,850/female 5,025,863)

15-24 years: 9.81% (male 4,012,412/female 3,854,471)

25-54 years: 38.58% (male 15,553,328/female 15,370,417)

55-64 years: 15.74% (male 6,297,886/female 6,316,024)

65 years and over: 22.99% (male 8,148,873/female 10,277,538) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 42 years

male: 40.9 years

female: 43.1 years (2020 est.)
total: 47.8 years

male: 46.5 years

female: 49.1 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate0.44% (2021 est.)-0.21% (2021 est.)
Birth rate11.17 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)8.63 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)12.22 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 3.09 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.54 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.61 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 81.45 years

male: 79.52 years

female: 83.51 years (2021 est.)
total population: 81.3 years

male: 78.93 years

female: 83.8 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate1.77 children born/woman (2021 est.)1.48 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate0.1% (2020 est.)0.1% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Dane(s)

adjective: Danish
noun: German(s)

adjective: German
Ethnic groupsDanish (includes Greenlandic (who are predominantly Inuit) and Faroese) 86.3%, Turkish 1.1%, other 12.6% (largest groups are Polish, Syrian, German, Iraqi, and Romanian) (2018 est.)

note: data represent population by ancestry
German 86.3%, Turkish 1.8%, Polish 1%, Syrian 1%, Romanian 1%, other/stateless/unspecified 8.9% (2020 est.)

note:  data represent population by nationality
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS6,700 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
93,000 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
ReligionsEvangelical Lutheran (official) 74.7%, Muslim 5.5%, other/none/unspecified (denominations of less than 1% each in descending order of size include Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Serbian Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Baptist, Buddhist, Mormon, Pentecostal, and nondenominational Christian) 19.8% (2019 est.)Roman Catholic 27.1%, Protestant 24.9%, Muslim 5.2%, Orthodox 2%, other Christian 1%, other 1%, none 38.8% (2019 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths<100 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
<500 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
LanguagesDanish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority); note - English is the predominant second language

major-language sample(s):
Verdens Faktabog, den uundværlig kilde til grundlæggende oplysninger. (Danish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
German (official); note - Danish, Frisian, Sorbian, and Romani are official minority languages; Low German, Danish, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Lower Sorbian, Upper Sorbian, and Romani are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

major-language sample(s):
Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 18 years

male: 19 years

female: 19 years (2018)
total: 17 years

male: 17 years

female: 17 years (2018)
Education expenditures7.8% of GDP (2017)4.9% of GDP (2017)
Urbanizationurban population: 88.2% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.54% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 77.5% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.13% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population1.359 million COPENHAGEN (capital) (2021)3.567 million BERLIN (capital), 1.789 million Hamburg, 1.553 million Munich, 1.129 million Cologne, 785,000 Frankfurt (2021)
Maternal mortality rate4 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)7 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Health expenditures10.1% (2018)11.4% (2018)
Physicians density4.01 physicians/1,000 population (2016)4.25 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density2.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)8 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate19.7% (2016)22.3% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth29.7 years (2019 est.)29.8 years (2019 est.)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 57.3

youth dependency ratio: 25.6

elderly dependency ratio: 31.7

potential support ratio: 3.2 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 55.4

youth dependency ratio: 21.7

elderly dependency ratio: 33.7

potential support ratio: 3 (2020 est.)

Government

DenmarkGermany
Country nameconventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark

conventional short form: Denmark

local long form: Kongeriget Danmark

local short form: Danmark

etymology: the name derives from the words "Dane(s)" and "mark"; the latter referring to a march (borderland) or forest
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany

conventional short form: Germany

local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland

local short form: Deutschland

former: German Reich

etymology: the Gauls (Celts) of Western Europe may have referred to the newly arriving Germanic tribes who settled in neighboring areas east of the Rhine during the first centuries B.C. as "Germani," a term the Romans adopted as "Germania"; the native designation "Deutsch" comes from the Old High German "diutisc" meaning "of the people"
Government typeparliamentary constitutional monarchyfederal parliamentary republic
Capitalname: Copenhagen

geographic coordinates: 55 40 N, 12 35 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October; note - applies to continental Denmark only, not to its North Atlantic components

etymology: name derives from the city's Danish appellation Kobenhavn, meaning "Merchant's Harbor"
name: Berlin

geographic coordinates: 52 31 N, 13 24 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: the origin of the name is unclear but may be related to the old West Slavic (Polabian) word "berl" or "birl," meaning "swamp"
Administrative divisionsmetropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner, singular - region); Hovedstaden (Capital), Midtjylland (Central Jutland), Nordjylland (North Jutland), Sjaelland (Zealand), Syddanmark (Southern Denmark)16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen (Hesse), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia); note - Bayern, Sachsen, and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat), while Bremen calls itself a Free Hanseatic City (Freie Hansestadt) and Hamburg considers itself a Free and Hanseatic City (Freie und Hansestadt)
Independenceca. 965 (unified and Christianized under HARALD I Gormsson); 5 June 1849 (became a parliamentary constitutional monarchy)18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights on 15 March 1991; notable earlier dates: 10 August 843 (Eastern Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 2 February 962 (crowning of OTTO I, recognized as the first Holy Roman Emperor)
National holidayConstitution Day, 5 June (1849); note - closest equivalent to a national holidayGerman Unity Day, 3 October (1990)
Constitutionhistory: several previous; latest adopted 5 June 1953

amendments: proposed by the Folketing with consent of the government; passage requires approval by the next Folketing following a general election, approval by simple majority vote of at least 40% of voters in a referendum, and assent of the chief of state; changed several times, last in 2009 (Danish Act of Succession)
history: previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10-23 August 1948, approved 12 May 1949, promulgated 23 May 1949, entered into force 24 May 1949

amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage and enactment into law require two-thirds majority vote by both the Bundesrat (upper house) and the Bundestag (lower house) of Parliament; articles including those on basic human rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended many times, last in 2020; note - in early 2021, the German federal government introduced a bill to incorporate children's rights into the constitution
Legal systemcivil law; judicial review of legislative actscivil law system
Suffrage18 years of age; universal18 years of age; universal; age 16 for some state and municipal elections
Executive branchchief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK (elder son of the monarch, born on 26 May 1968)

head of government: Prime Minister Mette FREDERIKSEN (since 27 June 2019)

cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch
chief of state: President Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (since 19 March 2017)

head of government: Chancellor Angela MERKEL (since 22 November 2005)

cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) recommended by the chancellor, appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by a Federal Convention consisting of all members of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and an equivalent number of delegates indirectly elected by the state parliaments; president serves a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 February 2017 (next to be held in February 2022); following the most recent Federal Parliament election, the party or coalition with the most representatives usually elects the chancellor (Angela MERKEL since 2005) and appointed by the president to serve a renewable 4-year term; Federal Parliament vote for chancellor last held on 14 March 2018 (next to be held after the Bundestag elections in 2021)

election results: Frank-Walter STEINMEIER elected president; Federal Convention vote count - Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (SPD) 931, Christopher BUTTERWEGGE (The Left) 128, Albrecht GLASER (Alternative for Germany AfD) 42, Alexander HOLD (BVB/FW) 25, Engelbert SONNEBORN (Pirates) 10; Angela MERKEL (CDU) reelected chancellor; Federal Parliament vote - 364 to 315
Legislative branchdescription: unicameral People's Assembly or Folketing (179 seats, including 2 each representing Greenland and the Faroe Islands; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms unless the Folketing is dissolved earlier)

elections: last held on 5 June 2019 (next to be held on June 2023)

election results: percent of vote by party - SDP 25.9%, V 23.4%, DF 8.7%, SLP 8.6%, SF 7.7%, EL 6.9%, C 6.6%, A 3.0%, NB 2.4%, LA 2.3%; seats by party - SDP 48, V 43, DF 16, SLP 16, SF 14, EL 13, C 12, A 5, NB 4, LA 4; composition - men 109, women 70 (includes 2 from Greenland), percent of women 39.1%
description: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of:
Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 seats; members appointed by each of the 16 state governments)
Federal Diet or Bundestag (709 seats - total seats can vary each electoral term; approximately one-half of members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and approximately one-half directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:
Bundesrat - none; composition is determined by the composition of the state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election
Bundestag - last held on 24 September 2017 (next to be held in 2021 at the latest); most postwar German governments have been coalitions

election results:
Bundesrat - composition - men 50, women 19, percent of women 27.5%
Bundestag - percent of vote by party - CDU/CSU 33%, SPD 20.5%, AfD 12.6%, FDP 10.7%, The Left 9.2%, Alliance '90/Greens 8.9%, other 5%; seats by party - CDU/CSU 246, SPD 152, AfD 91, FDP 80, The Left 69, Alliance '90/Greens 67; composition - men 490, women 219, percent of women 30.5%; note - total Parliament percent of women 30.5%
Judicial branchhighest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 18 judges)

judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, with the advice of the Judicial Appointments Council, a 6-member independent body of judges and lawyers; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 70

subordinate courts: Special Court of Indictment and Revision; 2 High Courts; Maritime and Commercial Court; county courts
highest courts: Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)

judge selection and term of office: Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68

subordinate courts: Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts; two English-speaking commercial courts opened in late 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg - English-speaking Stuttgart Commercial Court and English-speaking Mannheim Commercial Court
Political parties and leadersThe Alternative A or AP (Franciska ROSENKILDE)
Conservative People's Party or DKF or C [Soren PAPE POULSEN]
Danish People's Party or DF or O [Kristian THULESEN DAHL]
Liberal Alliance or LA [Alex VANOPSLAGH]
Liberal Party (Venstre) or V [Jakob ELLEMANN-JENSEN]
New Right Party or D or NB [Pernille VERMUND]
Red-Green Alliance (Unity List) or EL [collective leadership, Mai VILLADSEN, spokesperson]
Social Democrats or A or SDP [Mette FREDERIKSEN]
Social Liberal Party or B or SLP [Sofie CARSTEN NIELSEN]
Socialist People's Party or SF [Pia OLSEN DYHR]
Alliance '90/Greens [Annalena BAERBOCK and Robert HABECK]
Alternative for Germany or AfD [Alexander GAULAND - Honorary President, Joerg MEUTHEN and Tino CHRUPALLA]
Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Armin LASCHET]
Christian Social Union or CSU [Markus SOEDER]
Free Democratic Party or FDP [Christian LINDNER]
The Left or Die Linke [Janine WISSLER and Susanne HENNING-WELLSOW]
Social Democratic Party or SPD [Saskia ESKEN and Norbert WALTER-BORJANS]
International organization participationADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZCADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the USchief of mission: Ambassador Lone Dencker WISBORG (since 8 April 2019)

chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300

FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470

email address and website:
wasamb@um.dk

https://usa.um.dk/en

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, Silicon Valley (CA)
chief of mission: Ambassador Emily Margarethe HABER (since 22 June 2018)

chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000

FAX: [1] (202) 298-4261

email address and website:
info@washington.diplo.de

https://www.germany.info/us-en

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the USchief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Stuart A. DWYER (since 20 January 2021)

embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Kobenhavn 0

mailing address: 5280 Copenhagen Place, Washington DC  20521-5280

telephone: [45] 33-41-71-00

FAX: [45] 35-43-02-23

email address and website:
CopenhagenACS@state.gov

https://dk.usembassy.gov/
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Woodward "Clark" PRICE (since 1 July 2021)

embassy: Pariser Platz 2, 10117 Berlin

Clayallee 170, 14191 Berlin (administrative services)

mailing address: 5090 Berlin Place, Washington DC  20521-5090

telephone: [49] (30) 8305-0

FAX: [49] (30) 8305-1215

email address and website:
BerlinPCO@state.gov

https://de.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general: Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
Flag descriptionred with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side; the banner is referred to as the Dannebrog (Danish flag) and is one of the oldest national flags in the world; traditions as to the origin of the flag design vary, but the best known is a legend that the banner fell from the sky during an early-13th century battle; caught up by the Danish king before it ever touched the earth, this heavenly talisman inspired the royal army to victory; in actuality, the flag may derive from a crusade banner or ensign

note: the shifted cross design element was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, as well as by the Faroe Islands
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold; these colors have played an important role in German history and can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor - a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field
National anthemname: "Der er et yndigt land" (There is a Lovely Country); "Kong Christian" (King Christian)

lyrics/music: Adam Gottlob OEHLENSCHLAGER/Hans Ernst KROYER; Johannes EWALD/unknown

note: Denmark has two national anthems with equal status; "Der er et yndigt land," adopted 1844, is a national anthem, while "Kong Christian," adopted 1780, serves as both a national and royal anthem; "Kong Christian" is also known as "Kong Christian stod ved hojen mast" (King Christian Stood by the Lofty Mast) and "Kongesangen" (The King's Anthem); within Denmark, the royal anthem is played only when royalty is present and is usually followed by the national anthem; when royalty is not present, only the national anthem is performed; outside Denmark, the royal anthem is played, unless the national anthem is requested
name: "Das Lied der Deutschen" (Song of the Germans)

lyrics/music: August Heinrich HOFFMANN VON FALLERSLEBEN/Franz Joseph HAYDN

note: adopted 1922; the anthem, also known as "Deutschlandlied" (Song of Germany), was originally adopted for its connection to the March 1848 liberal revolution; following appropriation by the Nazis of the first verse, specifically the phrase, "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles" (Germany, Germany above all) to promote nationalism, it was banned after 1945; in 1952, its third verse was adopted by West Germany as its national anthem; in 1990, it became the national anthem for the reunited Germany
International law organization participationaccepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdictionaccepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
National symbol(s)lion, mute swan; national colors: red, whiteeagle; national colors: black, red, yellow
Citizenshipcitizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Denmark

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a German citizen or a resident alien who has lived in Germany at least 8 years

dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission from government

residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Economy

DenmarkGermany
Economy - overview

This thoroughly modern market economy features advanced industry with world-leading firms in pharmaceuticals, maritime shipping, and renewable energy, and a high-tech agricultural sector. Danes enjoy a high standard of living, and the Danish economy is characterized by extensive government welfare measures and an equitable distribution of income. An aging population will be a long-term issue.

Denmark's small open economy is highly dependent on foreign trade, and the government strongly supports trade liberalization. Denmark is a net exporter of food, oil, and gas and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus, but depends on imports of raw materials for the manufacturing sector.

Denmark is a member of the EU but not the eurozone. Despite previously meeting the criteria to join the European Economic and Monetary Union, Denmark has negotiated an opt-out with the EU and is not required to adopt the euro.

Denmark is experiencing a modest economic expansion. The economy grew by 2.0% in 2016 and 2.1% in 2017. The expansion is expected to decline slightly in 2018. Unemployment stood at 5.5% in 2017, based on the national labor survey. The labor market was tight in 2017, with corporations experiencing some difficulty finding appropriately-skilled workers to fill billets. The Danish Government offers extensive programs to train unemployed persons to work in sectors that need qualified workers.

Denmark maintained a healthy budget surplus for many years up to 2008, but the global financial crisis swung the budget balance into deficit. Since 2014 the balance has shifted between surplus and deficit. In 2017 there was a surplus of 1.0%. The government projects a lower deficit in 2018 and 2019 of 0.7%, and public debt (EMU debt) as a share of GDP is expected to decline to 35.6% in 2018 and 34.8% in 2019. The Danish Government plans to address increasing municipal, public housing and integration spending in 2018.

The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment. Germany benefits from a highly skilled labor force, but, like its Western European neighbors, faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and a large increase in net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and necessitate structural reforms.

Reforms launched by the government of Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (1998-2005), deemed necessary to address chronically high unemployment and low average growth, contributed to strong economic growth and falling unemployment. These advances, as well as a government subsidized, reduced working hour scheme, help explain the relatively modest increase in unemployment during the 2008-09 recession - the deepest since World War II. The German Government introduced a minimum wage in 2015 that increased to $9.79 (8.84 euros) in January 2017.

Stimulus and stabilization efforts initiated in 2008 and 2009 and tax cuts introduced in Chancellor Angela MERKEL's second term increased Germany's total budget deficit - including federal, state, and municipal - to 4.1% in 2010, but slower spending and higher tax revenues reduced the deficit to 0.8% in 2011 and in 2017 Germany reached a budget surplus of 0.7%. A constitutional amendment approved in 2009 limits the federal government to structural deficits of no more than 0.35% of GDP per annum as of 2016, though the target was already reached in 2012.

Following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Chancellor Angela MERKEL announced in May 2011 that eight of the country's 17 nuclear reactors would be shut down immediately and the remaining plants would close by 2022. Germany plans to replace nuclear power largely with renewable energy, which accounted for 29.5% of gross electricity consumption in 2016, up from 9% in 2000. Before the shutdown of the eight reactors, Germany relied on nuclear power for 23% of its electricity generating capacity and 46% of its base-load electricity production.

The German economy suffers from low levels of investment, and a government plan to invest 15 billion euros during 2016-18, largely in infrastructure, is intended to spur needed private investment. Domestic consumption, investment, and exports are likely to drive German GDP growth in 2018, and the country's budget and trade surpluses are likely to remain high.

GDP (purchasing power parity)$336.335 billion (2019 est.)

$327.017 billion (2018 est.)

$320.053 billion (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$4,482,448,000,000 (2019 est.)

$4,457,688,000,000 (2018 est.)

$4,401,873,000,000 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
GDP - real growth rate2.85% (2019 est.)

2.18% (2018 est.)

2.83% (2017 est.)
0.59% (2019 est.)

1.3% (2018 est.)

2.91% (2017 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)$57,804 (2019 est.)

$56,444 (2018 est.)

$55,517 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$53,919 (2019 est.)

$53,768 (2018 est.)

$53,255 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - composition by sectoragriculture: 1.3% (2017 est.)

industry: 22.9% (2017 est.)

services: 75.8% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 0.7% (2017 est.)

industry: 30.7% (2017 est.)

services: 68.6% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line12.5% (2018 est.)14.8% (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10%: 9%

highest 10%: 23.4% (2016 est.)
lowest 10%: 3.6%

highest 10%: 24% (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)0.7% (2019 est.)

0.8% (2018 est.)

1.1% (2017 est.)
1.4% (2019 est.)

1.7% (2018 est.)

1.5% (2017 est.)
Labor force2.736 million (2020 est.)44.585 million (2020 est.)
Labor force - by occupationagriculture: 2.4%

industry: 18.3%

services: 79.3% (2016 est.)
agriculture: 1.4%

industry: 24.2%

services: 74.3% (2016)
Unemployment rate3.05% (2019 est.)

3.07% (2018 est.)
4.98% (2019 est.)

5.19% (2018 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index28.7 (2017 est.)

27.5 (2010 est.)
31.9 (2016 est.)

30 (1994)
Budgetrevenues: 172.5 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 168.9 billion (2017 est.)
revenues: 1.665 trillion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 1.619 trillion (2017 est.)
Industrieswind 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 productsamong the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles
Industrial production growth rate2.5% (2017 est.)3.3% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - productsmilk, wheat, barley, potatoes, sugar beet, pork, rye, rapeseed, oats, poultrymilk, sugar beet, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, maize, rye, rapeseed, triticale
Exports$226.589 billion (2019 est.)

$215.725 billion (2018 est.)

$208.941 billion (2017 est.)
$2,004,158,000,000 (2019 est.)

$1,984,745,000,000 (2018 est.)

$1,937,273,000,000 (2017 est.)
Exports - commoditiespackaged medicines, electric generators, pork, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines (2019)cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, aircraft, medical cultures/vaccines, industrial machinery (2019)
Exports - partnersGermany 14%, United States 11%, Sweden 10%, United Kingdom 7%, Norway 6%, Netherlands 5%, China 5% (2019)United States 9%, France 8%, China 7%, Netherlands 6%, United Kingdom 6%, Italy 5%, Poland 5%, Austria 5% (2019)
Imports$197.818 billion (2019 est.)

$193.107 billion (2018 est.)

$184.338 billion (2017 est.)
$1,804,453,000,000 (2019 est.)

$1,759,299,000,000 (2018 est.)

$1,695,300,000,000 (2017 est.)
Imports - commoditiescars, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, crude petroleum, broadcasting equipment (2019)cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines (2019)
Imports - partnersGermany 21%, Sweden 11%, Netherlands 8%, China 7% (2019)Netherlands 9%, China 8%, France 7%, Belgium 6%, Poland 6%, Italy 6%, Czechia 5%, United States 5% (2019)
Debt - external$504.808 billion (2019 est.)

$517.972 billion (2018 est.)
$5,671,463,000,000 (2019 est.)

$5,751,408,000,000 (2018 est.)
Exchange ratesDanish kroner (DKK) per US dollar -

6.16045 (2020 est.)

6.7506 (2019 est.)

6.5533 (2018 est.)

6.7236 (2014 est.)

5.6125 (2013 est.)
euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.82771 (2020 est.)

0.90338 (2019 est.)

0.87789 (2018 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)
Fiscal yearcalendar yearcalendar year
Public debt35.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

37.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
63.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

67.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; the series are presented as a percentage of GDP and in millions of euros; GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product at current market prices; data expressed in national currency are converted into euro using end-of-year exchange rates provided by the European Central Bank
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold$75.25 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$64.25 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$200.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$173.7 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Current Account Balance$30.935 billion (2019 est.)

$24.821 billion (2018 est.)
$280.238 billion (2019 est.)

$297.434 billion (2018 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)$350.037 billion (2019 est.)$3,860,923,000,000 (2019 est.)
Credit ratingsFitch rating: AAA (2003)

Moody's rating: Aaa (1999)

Standard & Poors rating: AAA (2001)
Fitch rating: AAA (1994)

Moody's rating: Aaa (1986)

Standard & Poors rating: AAA (1983)

Credit ratings prior to 1989 refer to West Germany.
Ease of Doing Business Index scoresOverall score: 85.3 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 92.7 (2020)

Trading score: 100 (2020)

Enforcement score: 73.9 (2020)
Overall score: 79.7 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 83.7 (2020)

Trading score: 91.8 (2020)

Enforcement score: 74.1 (2020)
Taxes and other revenues53% (of GDP) (2017 est.)45% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24total: 10.1%

male: 10.4%

female: 9.7% (2019 est.)
total: 5.8%

male: 6.6%

female: 4.8% (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end usehousehold consumption: 48% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 25.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 20% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: -0.2% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 54.5% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -47.5% (2017 est.)
household consumption: 53.1% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 19.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 20.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: -0.5% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 47.3% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -39.7% (2017 est.)
Gross national saving31.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

29.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

29.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
28.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

28.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

28.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

Energy

DenmarkGermany
Electricity - production29.84 billion kWh (2016 est.)612.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption33.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)536.5 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports9.919 billion kWh (2016 est.)78.86 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - imports14.98 billion kWh (2016 est.)28.34 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Oil - production115,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)41,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Oil - imports98,240 bbl/day (2017 est.)1.836 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Oil - exports82,980 bbl/day (2017 est.)6,569 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Oil - proved reserves439 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)129.6 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves12.86 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)39.5 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
Natural gas - production4.842 billion cu m (2017 est.)7.9 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption3.115 billion cu m (2017 est.)93.36 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports2.237 billion cu m (2017 est.)34.61 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports509.7 million cu m (2017 est.)119.5 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity14.34 million kW (2016 est.)208.5 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels46% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)41% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)5% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources54% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)52% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production183,900 bbl/day (2017 est.)2.158 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption158,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)2.46 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports133,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)494,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports109,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)883,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Electricity accesselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Telecommunications

DenmarkGermany
Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 1,003,524

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17.18 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 40.4 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 50.35 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 7,243,465

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 124.01 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 107.2 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 133.61 (2019 est.)
Internet country code.dk.de
Internet userstotal: 5,672,398

percent of population: 97.64% (July 2018 est.)
total: 72,202,773

percent of population: 89.74% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment:

Denmark has one of the highest broadband penetration rates globally, with near universal availability of superfast connections; progressive regulator encouraged upgrades to cable and DSL infrastructure; fast growing fiber networks with aim for nation-wide build-out; comprehensive LTE with 90% coverage of 5G; operator expands NB-IoT across its LTE network; survey underway for cable connecting Denmark to Norway; upgrades to submarine cable connection to North America; importer of broadcasting equipment from EU neighbors (2021)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line 17 per 100, 126 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2019)

international: country code - 45; landing points for the NSC, COBRAcable, CANTAT-3, DANICE, Havfrue/AEC-2, TAT-14m Denmark-Norway-5 & 6, Skagenfiber West & East, GC1, GC2, GC3, GC-KPN, Kattegat 1 & 2 & 3, Energinet Lyngsa-Laeso, Energinet Laeso-Varberg, Fehmarn Balt, Baltica, German-Denmark 2 & 3, Ronne-Rodvig, Denmark-Sweden 15 & 16 & 17 & 18, IP-Only Denmark-Sweden, Scandinavian South, Scandinavian Ring North, Danica North, 34 series of fiber-optic submarine cables link Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, US and UK; satellite earth stations - 18 (6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat (Blaavand-Atlantic-East)); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment:

one of the world's most technologically advanced telecom systems with additional security measures; LTE universally available and 5G service to over 80% of population; mobile market is driven by data, with increased broadband subscribership; regulatory measures aimed at facilitating wholesale network access to provide fiber-based broadband services; government aims to provide smart technology solutions; over 60 cities use smart technology in urban development, many through joint initiative with private sector, utility companies, and universities; importer of broadcast equipment and computers from China (2021)

(2020)

domestic: extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign countries; 48 per 100 for fixed-line and 128 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2019)

international: country code - 49; landing points for SeaMeWe-3, TAT-14, AC-1, CONTACT-3, Fehmarn Balt, C-Lion1, GC1, GlobalConnect-KPN, and Germany-Denmark 2 & 3 - submarine cables to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia; as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 2,536,508

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43.42 (2019 est.)
total: 35,071,539

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43.71 (2019 est.)
Broadcast mediastrong public-sector TV presence with state-owned Danmarks Radio (DR) operating 6 channels and publicly owned TV2 operating roughly a half-dozen channels; broadcasts of privately owned stations are available via satellite and cable feed; DR operates 4 nationwide FM radio stations, 10 digital audio broadcasting stations, and 14 web-based radio stations; 140 commercial and 187 community (non-commercial) radio stations (2019)a mixture of publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; 70 national and regional public broadcasters compete with nearly 400 privately owned national and regional TV stations; more than 90% of households have cable or satellite TV; hundreds of radio stations including multiple national radio networks, regional radio networks, and a large number of local radio stations

Transportation

DenmarkGermany
Railwaystotal: 3,476 km (2017)

standard gauge: 3,476 km 1.435-m gauge (1,756 km electrified) (2017)
total: 33,590 km (2017)

standard gauge: 33,331 km 1.435-m gauge (19,973 km electrified) (2015)

narrow gauge: 220 km 1.000-m gauge (79 km electrified)

15 km 0.900-m gauge, 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2015)
Roadwaystotal: 74,558 km (2017)

paved: 74,558 km (includes 1,205 km of expressways) (2017)
total: 625,000 km (2017)

paved: 625,000 km (includes 12,996 km of expressways) (2017)

note: includes local roads
Waterways400 km (2010)7,467 km (Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea) (2012)
Pipelines1536 km gas, 330 km oil (2015)37 km condensate, 26985 km gas, 2400 km oil, 4479 km refined products, 8 km water (2013)
Ports and terminalsmajor seaport(s): Baltic Sea - Aarhus, Copenhagen, Fredericia, Kalundborg

cruise port(s): Copenhagen

river port(s): Aalborg (Langerak)

dry bulk cargo port(s): Ensted (coal)

North Sea - Esbjerg,
major seaport(s): Baltic Sea - Kiel, Rostock
North Sea - Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Emden, Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven

oil terminal(s): Brunsbuttel Canal terminals

container port(s) (TEUs): Bremen/Bremerhaven (4,856,900), Hamburg (9,274,215) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Hamburg

river port(s): Bremen (Weser); Bremerhaven (Geeste); Duisburg, Karlsruhe, Neuss-Dusseldorf (Rhine); Lubeck (Wakenitz); Brunsbuttel, Hamburg (Elbe)
Merchant marinetotal: 692

by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 148, general cargo 62, oil tanker 87, other 394 (2020)
total: 607

by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 84, general cargo 86, oil tanker 37, other 399 (2020)
Airportstotal: 80 (2013)total: 539 (2013)
Airports - with paved runwaystotal: 28 (2017)

over 3,047 m: 2 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 (2017)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m: 12 (2017)

under 914 m: 2 (2017)
total: 318 (2017)

over 3,047 m: 14 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 49 (2017)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 60 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m: 70 (2017)

under 914 m: 125 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runwaystotal: 52 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2013)

under 914 m: 47 (2013)
total: 221 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m: 35 (2013)

under 914 m: 185 (2013)
National air transport systemnumber of registered air carriers: 10 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 76

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 582,011 (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
number of registered air carriers: 20 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1,113

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 109,796,202 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 7,969,860,000 mt-km (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefixOYD

Military

DenmarkGermany
Military branchesRoyal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force, Danish Home Guard (Reserves) (2021)

note: the Danish military also maintains a Joint Arctic Command
Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): Army (Heer), Navy (Deutsche Marine, includes naval air arm), Air Force (Luftwaffe, includes air defense), Joint Support Service (Streitkraeftebasis, SKB), Central Medical Service (Zentraler Sanitaetsdienst, ZSanDstBw), Cyber and Information Space Command (Kommando Cyber- und Informationsraum, Kdo CIR) (2021)
Military service age and obligation18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months depending on specialization; former conscripts are assigned to mobilization units; women eligible to volunteer for military service; in addition to full time employment, the Danish Military offers reserve contracts in all three branches (2019)17-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription ended July 2011; service obligation 8-23 months or 12 years; women have been eligible for voluntary service in all military branches and positions since 2001 (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP1.43% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.3% of GDP (2019)

1.28% of GDP (2018)

1.14% of GDP (2017)

1.15% of GDP (2016)
1.56% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.36% of GDP (2019)

1.25% of GDP (2018)

1.23% of GDP (2017)

1.2% of GDP (2016)
Military - noteDenmark is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949

in 2018, the Defense Ministers of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the creation of a Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC); the C-SOCC was declared operational in December 2020
the Federal Republic of Germany joined NATO in May 1955; with the reunification of Germany in October 1990, the states of the former German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany in its membership of NATO
Military and security service personnel strengthsthe Danish military has approximately 16,000 active duty personnel (8,000 Army; 3,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force; 2,000 other) (2021)the German Federal Armed Forces have approximately 180,000 active duty personnel (62,000 Army; 16,000 Navy; 28,000 Air Force; 27,000 Joint Support Service; 20,000 Medical Service, 13,000 Cyber and Information Space Command; 14,000 other) (2020)

note - Germany in 2020 announced it planned to increase the size of the military to about 200,000 troops by 2024
Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsthe Danish military inventory is comprised of a mix of modern European, US, and domestically-produced equipment; the US is the largest supplier of military equipment to Denmark since 2010, followed by Germany and the Netherlands; the Danish defense industry is active in the production of naval vessels, defense electronics, and subcomponents of larger weapons systems, such as the US F-35 fighter aircraft (2020)the German Federal Armed Forces inventory is mostly comprised of weapons systems produced domestically or jointly with other European countries and Western imports; since 2010, the US is the leading foreign supplier of armaments to Germany; Germany's defense industry is capable of manufacturing the full spectrum of air, land, and naval military weapons systems, and is one of the world's leading arms exporters (2020)
Military deployments140 Middle East/Iraq (NATO/Operation Inherent Resolve) (2021)approximately 500 Middle East (NATO/Counter-ISIS campaign); 130 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 500 Lithuania (NATO); 800 Mali (MINUSMA/EUTM); note - Germany is a contributing member of the EuroCorps (2021)

Transnational Issues

DenmarkGermany
Disputes - international

Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; sovereignty dispute with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland; Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission

none

Refugees and internally displaced personsrefugees (country of origin): 20,046 (Syria), 5,320 (Eritrea) (2019)

stateless persons: 11,655 (2020)
refugees (country of origin): 572,818 (Syria), 141,650 (Iraq), 140,366 (Afghanistan), 58,569 (Eritrea), 43,244 (Iran), 28,470 (Turkey), 26,015 (Somalia), 8,722 (Russia), 8,639 (Serbia and Kosovo), 8,125 (Pakistan), 7,828 (Nigeria) (2019)

stateless persons: 26,675 (2020)

Terrorism

DenmarkGermany
Terrorist Group(s)Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Environment

DenmarkGermany
Air pollutantsparticulate matter emissions: 10.12 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 31.79 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 6.54 megatons (2020 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 11.71 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 727.97 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 49.92 megatons (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawalmunicipal: 381.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 32.9 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 326.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
municipal: 4.388 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 19.75 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 299.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Revenue from forest resourcesforest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)forest revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coalcoal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)coal revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)
Waste and recyclingmunicipal solid waste generated annually: 4.485 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1,223,060 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 27.3% (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 51.046 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 24,415,302 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 47.8% (2015 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook