MigrantoDanish Diaspora
124.7K Danes live abroad — 2% of the population of Denmark
Danish diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 60% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 37372 |
| Norway | 27624 |
| Canada | 9798 |
| Australia | 8927 |
| Iceland | 5917 |
| Faroe Islands | 4935 |
| Greenland | 4470 |
| Poland | 3551 |
| Italy | 3005 |
| Israel | 2383 |
| Luxembourg | 1846 |
| Finland | 1321 |
| Greece | 974 |
| Japan | 937 |
| Libya | 868 |
| China | 837 |
| Bulgaria | 763 |
| Hungary | 758 |
| Malta | 683 |
| Lithuania | 637 |
| Egypt | 616 |
| South Africa | 594 |
| Brazil | 564 |
| Portugal | 507 |
| Argentina | 472 |
| Botswana | 363 |
| Mexico | 359 |
| Slovakia | 354 |
| Serbia | 340 |
| Chile | 297 |
| Panama | 268 |
| Estonia | 229 |
| Latvia | 219 |
| Peru | 203 |
| Belarus | 193 |
| Cyprus | 174 |
| Bolivia | 132 |
| Venezuela | 130 |
| Tajikistan | 129 |
| Andorra | 126 |
| Namibia | 124 |
| Montenegro | 95 |
| Costa Rica | 91 |
| Croatia | 90 |
| Slovenia | 78 |
| Guinea | 61 |
| Romania | 58 |
| Nicaragua | 55 |
| Bhutan | 39 |
| Dominican Republic | 27 |
| Cayman Islands | 21 |
| Bermuda | 18 |
| Liechtenstein | 16 |
| Bahamas | 16 |
| Central African Republic | 1 |
By region
74% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Danish diaspora in numbers
Most Danes abroad live in Sweden
30% of the diaspora lives in Sweden, while the next country accounts for just 22%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
5 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary. Poland climbed from outside the top 20 to #8.
The share of the diaspora living in North America has declined since 1990
24.5% of the diaspora lived in North America in 1990, compared with 11.5% today.
Danish diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 124563 |
| 1995 | 117007 |
| 2000 | 113952 |
| 2005 | 120534 |
| 2010 | 124567 |
| 2015 | 123297 |
| 2020 | 120852 |
| 2024 | 124665 |
Largest communities over time
Danes living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Sweden | Norway | Canada | Australia | Iceland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 43899 | 21160 | 21907 | 9385 | 2048 |
| 1995 | 40840 | 21161 | 19927 | 9670 | 2175 |
| 2000 | 38190 | 21713 | 18091 | 9939 | 2302 |
| 2005 | 42141 | 21971 | 17410 | 10481 | 2637 |
| 2010 | 45808 | 22586 | 15693 | 10609 | 2912 |
| 2015 | 42114 | 25312 | 13671 | 10235 | 3283 |
| 2020 | 39185 | 24842 | 11365 | 9646 | 3918 |
| 2024 | 37372 | 27624 | 9798 | 8927 | 5917 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Danes in each country has changed since the selected year
Danes among immigrants in other countries
Where Danes make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Danes live outside Denmark?
Around 124.7K Danes live abroad, the world's #145 largest diaspora.
Where do most Danes abroad live?
Most Danes live in Sweden, Norway and Canada — these three countries account for about 60% of all Danes living abroad.
Which country has the largest Danish population outside Denmark?
Sweden is home to the largest Danish community abroad — 37.4K people, about 30% of all Danes living abroad.
What share of the population of Denmark lives abroad?
About 2% of the population of Denmark lives abroad — that's 124.7K out of a total population of 6M.
Is the Danish diaspora growing?
Barely — over the past decade, the number of Danes living abroad has changed from 123.3K to 124.7K, about 1%.
Where does the data on the Danish diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Denmark who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in Denmark
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