Sex gap in life expectancy in Denmark
Denmark: Sex gap in life expectancy was 3.84 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3.84 years
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
191st
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.21 years
in 1979
All-time low
1.33 years
in 1869
Years of data
189
1835–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy in Denmark, 1835–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, sex gap in life expectancy in Denmark stood at 3.84 years.
That represents a change of up 2.4% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy in Denmark peaked at 6.21 years in 1979 and was at its lowest, 1.33 years, in 1869.
That places Denmark 191st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 189 years of available data.
Sex gap in life expectancy in Denmark, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1835 | 3.55 years | — |
| 1836 | 3.17 years | -10.7% |
| 1837 | 3.1 years | -2.2% |
| 1838 | 2.5 years | -19.4% |
| 1839 | 1.59 years | -36.4% |
| 1840 | 2.52 years | +58.5% |
| 1841 | 1.77 years | -29.8% |
| 1842 | 3.07 years | +73.4% |
| 1843 | 2.49 years | -18.9% |
| 1844 | 2.22 years | -10.8% |
| 1845 | 2.47 years | +11.3% |
| 1846 | 2.44 years | -1.2% |
| 1847 | 2.42 years | -0.8% |
| 1848 | 2.96 years | +22.3% |
| 1849 | 4.01 years | +35.5% |
| 1850 | 3.27 years | -18.5% |
| 1851 | 3.31 years | +1.2% |
| 1852 | 2.71 years | -18.1% |
| 1853 | 2.53 years | -6.6% |
| 1854 | 3.07 years | +21.3% |
| 1855 | 1.92 years | -37.5% |
| 1856 | 2.15 years | +12.0% |
| 1857 | 1.83 years | -14.9% |
| 1858 | 2.05 years | +12.0% |
| 1859 | 2.41 years | +17.6% |
| 1860 | 1.74 years | -27.8% |
| 1861 | 2.74 years | +57.5% |
| 1862 | 1.82 years | -33.6% |
| 1863 | 1.92 years | +5.5% |
| 1864 | 2.5 years | +30.2% |
| 1865 | 1.92 years | -23.2% |
| 1866 | 1.46 years | -24.0% |
| 1867 | 1.77 years | +21.2% |
| 1868 | 1.62 years | -8.5% |
| 1869 | 1.33 years | -17.9% |
| 1870 | 1.93 years | +45.1% |
| 1871 | 1.76 years | -8.8% |
| 1872 | 1.34 years | -23.9% |
| 1873 | 1.34 years | +0.0% |
| 1874 | 2.66 years | +98.5% |
| 1875 | 1.9 years | -28.6% |
| 1876 | 1.92 years | +1.1% |
| 1877 | 1.94 years | +1.0% |
| 1878 | 1.52 years | -21.6% |
| 1879 | 2.15 years | +41.4% |
| 1880 | 1.89 years | -12.1% |
| 1881 | 1.96 years | +3.7% |
| 1882 | 1.84 years | -6.1% |
| 1883 | 2.11 years | +14.7% |
| 1884 | 1.67 years | -20.9% |
| 1885 | 2.4 years | +43.7% |
| 1886 | 1.64 years | -31.7% |
| 1887 | 1.94 years | +18.3% |
| 1888 | 1.88 years | -3.1% |
| 1889 | 2.62 years | +39.4% |
| 1890 | 2.32 years | -11.5% |
| 1891 | 2.19 years | -5.6% |
| 1892 | 2.82 years | +28.8% |
| 1893 | 2.42 years | -14.2% |
| 1894 | 2.33 years | -3.7% |
| 1895 | 2.64 years | +13.3% |
| 1896 | 3.24 years | +22.7% |
| 1897 | 3.12 years | -3.7% |
| 1898 | 2.94 years | -5.8% |
| 1899 | 3.48 years | +18.4% |
| 1900 | 3.32 years | -4.6% |
| 1901 | 3.77 years | +13.6% |
| 1902 | 3.07 years | -18.6% |
| 1903 | 3.12 years | +1.6% |
| 1904 | 3.43 years | +9.9% |
| 1905 | 2.81 years | -18.1% |
| 1906 | 3.04 years | +8.2% |
| 1907 | 2.78 years | -8.6% |
| 1908 | 2.84 years | +2.2% |
| 1909 | 3.02 years | +6.3% |
| 1910 | 3.2 years | +6.0% |
| 1911 | 3.44 years | +7.5% |
| 1912 | 2.69 years | -21.8% |
| 1913 | 2.49 years | -7.4% |
| 1914 | 3.29 years | +32.1% |
| 1915 | 2.98 years | -9.4% |
| 1916 | 3.25 years | +9.1% |
| 1917 | 2.46 years | -24.3% |
| 1918 | 2.14 years | -13.0% |
| 1919 | 1.63 years | -23.8% |
| 1920 | 1.51 years | -7.4% |
| 1921 | 1.53 years | +1.3% |
| 1922 | 1.41 years | -7.8% |
| 1923 | 1.79 years | +27.0% |
| 1924 | 1.92 years | +7.3% |
| 1925 | 1.49 years | -22.4% |
| 1926 | 1.72 years | +15.4% |
| 1927 | 1.34 years | -22.1% |
| 1928 | 1.82 years | +35.8% |
| 1929 | 1.59 years | -12.6% |
| 1930 | 1.91 years | +20.1% |
| 1931 | 2.02 years | +5.8% |
| 1932 | 1.48 years | -26.7% |
| 1933 | 1.71 years | +15.5% |
| 1934 | 2.13 years | +24.6% |
| 1935 | 1.92 years | -9.9% |
| 1936 | 2.16 years | +12.5% |
| 1937 | 2.41 years | +11.6% |
| 1938 | 2.14 years | -11.2% |
| 1939 | 2.24 years | +4.7% |
| 1940 | 1.91 years | -14.7% |
| 1941 | 2.2 years | +15.2% |
| 1942 | 2.03 years | -7.7% |
| 1943 | 1.98 years | -2.5% |
| 1944 | 1.99 years | +0.5% |
| 1945 | 2.22 years | +11.6% |
| 1946 | 1.8 years | -18.9% |
| 1947 | 2.21 years | +22.8% |
| 1948 | 2.73 years | +23.5% |
| 1949 | 2.55 years | -6.6% |
| 1950 | 2.42 years | -5.0% |
| 1951 | 2.45 years | +1.0% |
| 1952 | 2.76 years | +12.9% |
| 1953 | 2.59 years | -6.1% |
| 1954 | 2.92 years | +12.6% |
| 1955 | 3.07 years | +5.3% |
| 1956 | 3.31 years | +7.7% |
| 1957 | 3.33 years | +0.6% |
| 1958 | 3.54 years | +6.4% |
| 1959 | 3.29 years | -7.3% |
| 1960 | 3.56 years | +8.3% |
| 1961 | 3.82 years | +7.4% |
| 1962 | 4.12 years | +7.8% |
| 1963 | 4.07 years | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 4.51 years | +10.8% |
| 1965 | 4.45 years | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 4.58 years | +2.7% |
| 1967 | 4.73 years | +3.5% |
| 1968 | 4.79 years | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 4.84 years | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 5.05 years | +4.3% |
| 1971 | 5.36 years | +6.0% |
| 1972 | 5.41 years | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 5.56 years | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 5.88 years | +5.8% |
| 1975 | 5.72 years | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 5.77 years | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 5.95 years | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 5.91 years | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 6.21 years | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 6 years | -3.3% |
| 1981 | 6.11 years | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 6.05 years | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 6.1 years | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 5.97 years | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 5.95 years | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 5.76 years | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 6.04 years | +4.8% |
| 1988 | 5.59 years | -7.4% |
| 1989 | 5.77 years | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 5.71 years | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 5.5 years | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 5.41 years | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 5.17 years | -4.3% |
| 1994 | 5.32 years | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 5.11 years | -3.9% |
| 1996 | 5.21 years | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 4.91 years | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 4.93 years | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 4.68 years | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 4.68 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 4.54 years | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 4.54 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4.71 years | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 4.69 years | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 4.5 years | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 4.61 years | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 4.4 years | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 4.43 years | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 4.2 years | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 4.22 years | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 4.12 years | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 3.96 years | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 4.02 years | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 4.1 years | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 3.92 years | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 3.85 years | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 4.03 years | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 3.94 years | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 3.99 years | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 3.92 years | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 3.73 years | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 3.75 years | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 3.84 years | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 2.78 years | 1.59 years | 3.55 years | 5 |
| 1840s | 2.64 years | 1.77 years | 4.01 years | 10 |
| 1850s | 2.52 years | 1.83 years | 3.31 years | 10 |
| 1860s | 1.88 years | 1.33 years | 2.74 years | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.85 years | 1.34 years | 2.66 years | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.99 years | 1.64 years | 2.62 years | 10 |
| 1890s | 2.75 years | 2.19 years | 3.48 years | 10 |
| 1900s | 3.12 years | 2.78 years | 3.77 years | 10 |
| 1910s | 2.76 years | 1.63 years | 3.44 years | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.61 years | 1.34 years | 1.92 years | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.01 years | 1.48 years | 2.41 years | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.16 years | 1.8 years | 2.73 years | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.97 years | 2.42 years | 3.54 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.35 years | 3.56 years | 4.84 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.68 years | 5.05 years | 6.21 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.94 years | 5.59 years | 6.11 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.19 years | 4.68 years | 5.71 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.53 years | 4.2 years | 4.71 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.01 years | 3.85 years | 4.22 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.81 years | 3.73 years | 3.92 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More health data for Denmark
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -3.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1019 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,179 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 31 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.3149 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0758 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -0.3298 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0799 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy in Denmark?
- Sex gap in life expectancy in Denmark was 3.84 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 6.21 years in 1979.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.33 years in 1869.
- How does Denmark rank for sex gap in life expectancy?
- Denmark ranks 191st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Sex gap in life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 189 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Difference in period life expectancy (females - males) at a given age.