Denmark vs Germany
Denmark vs Germany: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 27.4% of GDP in Denmark and 62.7% of GDP in Germany, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Germany, by 35.2 percentage points, or 2.29 times that in Denmark.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Germany has been higher since 1999, when it overtook Denmark.
- In 2025, Denmark ranked 133 and Germany ranked 51 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Denmark at 26.3% of GDP and Germany at 75.6% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Denmark | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27.4 | 62.7 |
| 2024 | 29.9 | 61.4 |
| 2023 | 33 | 61.8 |
| 2022 | 33.3 | 64.1 |
| 2021 | 39.6 | 67.4 |
| 2020 | 45.2 | 67.5 |
| 2019 | 38.3 | 58.4 |
| 2018 | 38.5 | 60.5 |
| 2017 | 40.2 | 63.7 |
| 2016 | 41.7 | 68.1 |
| 2015 | 44.6 | 71 |
| 2014 | 48.7 | 74.4 |
| 2013 | 47.8 | 77.4 |
| 2012 | 48.7 | 79.8 |
| 2011 | 50 | 78.5 |
| 2010 | 46.1 | 81 |
| 2009 | 43.1 | 72.4 |
| 2008 | 35.5 | 65.2 |
| 2007 | 29.5 | 63.7 |
| 2006 | 33.2 | 66.4 |
| 2005 | 39.4 | 67.1 |
| 2004 | 46.2 | 65 |
| 2003 | 48.2 | 63.3 |
| 2002 | 50.3 | 59.8 |
| 2001 | 50.1 | 58.1 |
| 2000 | 53.6 | 59.2 |
| 1999 | 56.8 | 60.4 |
| 1998 | 60.3 | 59.4 |
| 1997 | 64.4 | 58.8 |
| 1996 | 68.3 | 57.7 |
| 1995 | 71.5 | 54.9 |
| 1994 | 75.3 | 47.5 |
| 1993 | 78.7 | 45.1 |
| 1992 | 66.8 | 41.4 |
| 1991 | – | 39 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Denmark | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26.4 | 64.6 |
| 2027 | 26.4 | 67 |
| 2028 | 26.2 | 69.3 |
| 2029 | 26.3 | 71.5 |
| 2030 | 26.4 | 73.6 |
| 2031 | 26.3 | 75.6 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Denmark vs Germany
Health
- Life expectancyDenmark: 81.9 years in 2023Germany: 81.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityDenmark: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Germany: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityDenmark: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Germany: 3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterDenmark: 99.9% in 2022Germany: 99.9% in 2022
- DepressionDenmark: 3.29% in 2017Germany: 3.96% in 2017
- Suicide rateDenmark: 8.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Germany: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationDenmark: 5.95 million people in 2023Germany: 84.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthDenmark: 0.53% a year in 2023Germany: 0.35% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateDenmark: 1.51 births per woman in 2023Germany: 1.44 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationDenmark: 88.9% in 2025Germany: 82.1% in 2025
- Median ageDenmark: 41.3 years in 2023Germany: 45.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overDenmark: 20.6% in 2023Germany: 22.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateDenmark: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Germany: 7.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingDenmark: 3.25% of GDP in 2025Germany: 2.27% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsDenmark: $14.1B in 2025Germany: $107B in 2025
- Military spending per personDenmark: $2,495 in 2025Germany: $1,346 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingDenmark: 6.6% of government spending in 2025Germany: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelDenmark: 15,000 people in 2020Germany: 183,000 people in 2020
- National powerDenmark: 0.09% of world capability in 2022Germany: 1.5% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersDenmark: 0.49% of the labour force in 2020Germany: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsDenmark: 278 million TIV in 2025Germany: 1.63 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsDenmark: 165 million TIV in 2025Germany: 1.7 billion TIV in 2025