Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Denmark, you would:
Health
see 85.5% more spent on your healthcare
Denmark spends $7,262 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
live 3.4 years less
In Denmark, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In Denmark, 14.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
have 18.2% fewer doctors per person
Denmark has 45.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
be 49.4% more likely to die by suicide
Denmark has a suicide rate of 10.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 24.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Denmark, 5.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 17.0% more money
Denmark has a GDP per capita of $76,970 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
have 11.6% more children
In Denmark, there are approximately 9.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Denmark, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 57.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Denmark, approximately 3.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.8% less on education
Denmark spends 6.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 77.7% more on healthcare
Denmark spends 9.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.7 times more coastline
Denmark has a total of 7,314 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 6.9 times more likely to be murdered
Denmark has a homicide rate of 0.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 6.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Denmark, road accidents kill 2.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 2.1 times more electricity
Denmark uses 6,165 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
find 10.4% less home broadband
Denmark has 43.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
live with 11.4% more strain on fresh water
Denmark withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 3.2 times more CO2
Denmark emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Denmark vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Denmark? See an in-depth size comparison.