Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Denmark instead of United Kingdom, you would:

Health

live 0.9 years longer

In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024. In Denmark, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 47.7% less likely to be obese

In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Denmark, that number is 14.3% of people as of 2024.

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have 36.3% more doctors per person

United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Denmark has 45.0 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 33.6% more money

United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in Denmark, the GDP per capita is $76,970 as of 2025.

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be 16.4% more likely to be unemployed

In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Denmark, that number is 5.5% as of 2025.

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Life

be 50.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Denmark, 4.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 14.6% less likely to die during infancy

In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Denmark, on the other hand, 3.5 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 15.6% less on healthcare

United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Denmark, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2024.

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Geography

see 41.2% less coastline

United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In Denmark, that number is 7,314 km.

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Safety

be 25.0% less likely to be murdered

United Kingdom has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Denmark, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

use 47.0% more electricity

United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Denmark uses 6,165 kWh as of 2024.

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live with 76.1% more strain on fresh water

United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Denmark withdraws 25% as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: United Kingdom vs. Denmark

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Denmark is 1.6% cheaper than United Kingdom overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
United Kingdom is about 6 times bigger than Denmark.
→
Moving from United Kingdom to Denmark · OECD 2023
1,207 people moved from United Kingdom to Denmark.
→
City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of London vs Copenhagen
→

Denmark: At a glance

Denmark is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 42,434 sq km. Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
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How big is Denmark compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.

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