Languages spoken in Denmark
Europe · Capital: Copenhagen · Population 6 million
In Denmark, three languages have official status: Danish, Faroese, and Kalaallisut. A further one language holds official status at regional level: German. Danish is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 93.1% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 5.6 million people. After Danish, the most widely spoken are English at 86% and German at 47%. Danish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Danish is also spoken in one of its one neighbour: Germany. In total, six languages are recorded in Denmark, and their shares add up to 241.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 2.4 of them.
What languages are spoken in Denmark?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| DanishIndo-European | 93.1% | Official | 5.6 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 86% | Spoken | 5.1 million |
| GermanIndo-European | 47% | Official (regional) | 2.8 million |
| SwedishIndo-European | 13% | Spoken | 776,508 |
| FaroeseIndo-European | 1.2% | Official | 72,984 |
| Kalaallisut | 0.9% | Official | 55,679 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Denmark?
In Denmark, three languages have official status: Danish, Faroese, and Kalaallisut. A further one language is official at regional or state level: German. Danish is spoken by an estimated 93.1% of the population, or roughly 5.6 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Danish in Denmark?
An estimated 93.1% of Denmark's 6 million people speak Danish, which works out at roughly 5.6 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Denmark
- Capital
- Copenhagen
- Population
- 6 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 43,094 km²
- Currency
- DKK
- Languages recorded
- 6
- Land borders
- 1
- ISO codes
- DK / DNK / 208
Which countries border Denmark?
Denmark shares a land border with one country: Germany. Danish, the most widely spoken language in Denmark, is also spoken in Germany.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.