Europe & Central Asia · EU · OECD · NATO
Data checked 28 Oct 2026 · next scheduled check 1 Jan 2027 · UN World Population Prospects (via World Bank) released 1 Jul 2026 · Eurostat released 21 Oct 2026 · World Bank WDI released 8 Oct 2026
Total spending · 2024
47.3%
-11.4 pts since 1995
Welfare · 2024
19.6%
-5.6 pts since 1995
Healthcare · 2024
8.30%
+1.5 pts since 1995
Defence · 2024
1.80%
+0.1 pts since 1995
Education · 2024
5.60%
-0.8 pts since 1995
Debt interest · 2024
0.80%
-5.3 pts since 1995
Gross debt · 2025
27.4%
of GDP · -44 pts since 1995
Population · 2025
6.0m
14.8% since 1995
Public-sector employment
Not available: no official public-sector employment series is loaded for Denmark yet.
Welfare fell from 25.2% to 19.6% of GDP between 1995 and 2024.
Healthcare rose from 6.8% to 9.4% of GDP between 1995 and 2021, then fell to 8.3% by 2024.
Defence fell from 1.7% to 1.1% of GDP between 1995 and 2014, then rose to 1.8% by 2024.
Education rose from 6.4% to 7.1% of GDP between 1995 and 2010, then fell to 5.6% by 2024.
Debt interest fell from 6.1% to 0.5% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then rose to 0.8% by 2024.
Total spending fell from 58.7% to 47.3% of GDP between 1995 and 2024.
Gross debt fell from 71.5% to 27.4% of GDP between 1995 and 2025.
Population grew from 5.2 million in 1995 to 6.0 million in 2025; the UN projects 6.1 million by 2050.