GFmag Online Readers Survey 2012
Denmark


Denmark Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in Denmark; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankNational Bank of Denmark
International ReservesUS$ 89.694 billion (Source: IMF; Data updated: November 2011)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 337.811 billion (2010 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)208.272 billion of International dollars (2010 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
3.5%0.7%0.5%0.4%2.3%2.4%3.4%1.7%
2008200920102011*
-0.9%-5.2%2.1%2%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 60,962 (2010 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$37,585 International Dollars (2010 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
0.45%0.41%0.36%0.27%0.24%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 1.3% 
  • industry: 22.1% 
  • services: 76.7% (2011 estimate)

    • (Data released on February 2012)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)2.72% (2008)

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
3.4%(2008)1.3%2.3%2%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
1.9%3.6%4.2%(2009)4.5%

*Estimate

Household saving rates-2.3% (Net saving; 2011 forecast)

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
34.1%42.3%41.5%44.3%45.6%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
4.6%3.4%-2.8%-4.6%-4.4%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: AAA/Stable/A-1+

Moody's rating: Aaa

Moody's outlook: STA

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$277.746 billionUS$131.526 billionUS$186.852 billion
Largest companies in DenmarkMøller-Maersk (Other Tranportation), Danske Bank Group (Major Banks), Novo Nordisk (Pharmaceuticals), Carlsberg (Beverages), TDC (Telecommunications services)
(2011)
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ 16.2 billion (2009 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP4.8% of GDP (2009 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

54.7% (2008)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0.64%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export1.59%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$99.37 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiesmachinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills
Total importsUS$120.7 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesmachinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods
Exports - major partnersGermany 17.4%, Sweden 14.5%, UK 8%, US 6.1%, Norway 5.7%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.8% (2007)
Imports - major partnersGermany 21.6%, Sweden 14.4%, Netherlands 7.1%, Norway 6%, China 5.4%, UK 5.3%, Italy 4.1%, France 4% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$2,216 millionUS$2,966 million(2009)US$-1,814 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$14,142 millionUS$6,865 millionUS$3,183 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$2,841 millionUS$3,198 million(2009)US$-3,519 million(2009)US$-1,066 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 6 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 27 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 30 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 13 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 15 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 28 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 5 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 30 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		8

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 8 Score: 78.6 (Mostly Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+1
Total area 43,094 km2 (2006)
CapitalCopenhagen (2009)
CurrencyDanish kroner (DKK) (2009)
Government typeconstitutional monarchy (2009)
LanguagesDanish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority)
ReligionsEvangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
5.12 million5.14 million5.33 million5.53 million5.6 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
73.7%83.7%85.1%86.9%
Population median age40.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate0.6% (2009)
Life expectancy78 years (2007)
Adult literacyN/A
% of population living on less than $2 a dayN/A
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

24.7 (1997)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:1
Civil Liberties:1 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

171.67% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population88.72% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Copenhagen: 17th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

8.4323 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST TREASURY & CASH MANAGEMENT BANKS & PROVIDERS

2010:
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Danske Bank (Nordic Region, 2010)
2009:
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Danske Bank (Nordic Region, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Nordea (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Nordea (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Nordea (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Nordea (2009)

WORLD'S BEST DEVELOPED MARKET BANKS

2012:
  • Danske Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • Danske Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • Danske Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • Danske Bank (Europe, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Danske Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Danske Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BIGGEST BANKS

2011:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Danske Bank (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Danske Bank (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Saxo Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Saxo Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Danske Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Danske Bank (National, 2009)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE