Rural population in Denmark
Denmark: Rural population was 670,272 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Denmark, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Denmark is 670,272, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Denmark peaked at 1.19 million in 1960 and was at its lowest, 670,272, in 2025.
That places Denmark 146th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Denmark, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.19 million | — |
| 1961 | 1.18 million | -1.4% |
| 1962 | 1.16 million | -1.5% |
| 1963 | 1.14 million | -1.6% |
| 1964 | 1.12 million | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 1.10 million | -1.8% |
| 1966 | 1.08 million | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 1.06 million | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 1.04 million | -2.0% |
| 1969 | 1.02 million | -2.1% |
| 1970 | 998,927 | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 979,883 | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 959,286 | -2.1% |
| 1973 | 939,243 | -2.1% |
| 1974 | 919,012 | -2.2% |
| 1975 | 899,197 | -2.2% |
| 1976 | 882,008 | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 867,517 | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 854,208 | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 842,146 | -1.4% |
| 1980 | 831,474 | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 822,094 | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 813,079 | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 804,369 | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 796,384 | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 789,954 | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 785,300 | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 781,859 | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 779,318 | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 778,614 | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 779,578 | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 780,685 | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 781,759 | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 782,466 | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 783,000 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 784,942 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 787,398 | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 789,015 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 790,749 | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 792,948 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 795,603 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 793,726 | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 790,262 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 785,946 | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 772,143 | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 758,397 | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 747,618 | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 741,382 | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 737,072 | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 731,160 | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 728,675 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 715,442 | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 713,841 | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 699,415 | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 695,141 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 697,624 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 704,545 | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 690,864 | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 689,096 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 685,541 | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 685,805 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 687,484 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 685,459 | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 680,769 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 675,636 | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 670,272 | -0.8% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 670,272 is above the median for high income countries, which is 456,529, 1.5× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 670,272 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.49 million, 45% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.11 million | 1.02 million | 1.19 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 914,143 | 842,146 | 998,927 | 10 |
| 1980s | 798,244 | 778,614 | 831,474 | 10 |
| 1990s | 785,254 | 779,578 | 792,948 | 10 |
| 2000s | 765,331 | 731,160 | 795,603 | 10 |
| 2010s | 702,018 | 685,541 | 728,675 | 10 |
| 2020s | 680,904 | 670,272 | 687,484 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
- 143 Netherlands 734,613 compare
- 144 Palestine 683,093 compare
- 145 North Macedonia 675,721 compare
- 147 Trinidad and Tobago 629,587 compare
- 148 Guyana 614,522 compare
- 149 Comoros 583,195 compare
More agriculture & rural data for Denmark
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 37.33 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0117 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 900.07 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.7939 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1115 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Denmark?
- Rural population in Denmark was 670,272 in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 1.19 million in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 670,272 in 2025.
- How does Denmark rank for rural population?
- Denmark ranks 146th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Denmark data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.