Life expectancy, source comparison in Denmark
Denmark: Life expectancy, source comparison was 81.93 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
81.93 years
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
39th
of 236 countries
All-time high
81.93 years
in 2023
All-time low
70.31 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy, source comparison in Denmark, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy, source comparison in Denmark stood at 81.93 years. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy, source comparison in Denmark peaked at 81.93 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 70.31 years, in 1950.
That places Denmark 39th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy, source comparison in Denmark, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 70.31 years | — |
| 1951 | 70.92 years | +0.9% |
| 1952 | 70.76 years | -0.2% |
| 1953 | 71.17 years | +0.6% |
| 1954 | 71.34 years | +0.2% |
| 1955 | 71.91 years | +0.8% |
| 1956 | 72.04 years | +0.2% |
| 1957 | 71.81 years | -0.3% |
| 1958 | 72.24 years | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 72.22 years | -0.0% |
| 1960 | 72.2 years | -0.0% |
| 1961 | 72.45 years | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 72.35 years | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 72.42 years | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 72.51 years | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 72.39 years | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 72.47 years | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 72.95 years | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 73.15 years | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 73.25 years | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 73.36 years | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 73.43 years | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 73.47 years | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 73.69 years | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 73.82 years | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 74.1 years | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 73.77 years | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 74.66 years | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 74.43 years | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 74.24 years | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 74.13 years | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 74.25 years | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 74.6 years | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 74.46 years | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 74.62 years | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 74.48 years | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 74.64 years | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 74.75 years | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 74.84 years | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 74.86 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 74.86 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 75.23 years | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 75.27 years | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 75.19 years | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 75.44 years | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 75.29 years | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 75.66 years | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 76.04 years | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 76.44 years | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 76.58 years | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 76.81 years | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 76.97 years | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 77.1 years | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 77.4 years | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 77.78 years | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 78.23 years | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 78.22 years | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 78.35 years | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 78.71 years | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 78.96 years | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 79.25 years | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 79.79 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 80.08 years | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 80.31 years | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 80.63 years | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 80.74 years | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 80.88 years | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 81.11 years | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 80.99 years | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 81.43 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 81.55 years | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 81.44 years | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 81.29 years | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 81.93 years | +0.8% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 81.93 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 81 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 81.93 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 79.72 years, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 71.47 years | 70.31 years | 72.24 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 72.61 years | 72.2 years | 73.25 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 73.9 years | 73.36 years | 74.66 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.56 years | 74.13 years | 74.86 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.6 years | 74.86 years | 76.58 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.85 years | 76.81 years | 78.96 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.52 years | 79.25 years | 81.43 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.55 years | 81.29 years | 81.93 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
- 36 New Zealand 82.09 years compare
- 37 Guadeloupe 82.05 years compare
- 38 Austria 81.96 years compare
- 40 Finland 81.91 years compare
- 41 Greece 81.86 years compare
- 42 Puerto Rico 81.69 years compare
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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.4524 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0247 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.4338 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy, source comparison in Denmark?
- Life expectancy, source comparison in Denmark was 81.93 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy, source comparison recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 81.93 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy, source comparison recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.31 years in 1950.
- How does Denmark rank for life expectancy, source comparison?
- Denmark ranks 39th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy, source comparison rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy, source comparison. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.