Denmark flag Denmark: Economic and Political Overview

Foreign trade figures of Denmark

Foreign Trade in Figures

Denmark has historically been renowned as a nation of traders, with an economy extremely open to foreign trade: in 2025, it represented 129% of the country’s GDP (World Bank). Pharmaceuticals dominate exports: in 2025, medicaments accounted for 13.0% of the total, followed by vaccines and other blood products (3.2%), hormones including insulin (2.6%), motor cars (2.0%), and pork (1.9%). Denmark is also a leading manufacturer of wind turbines. Its main imports are motor cars (7.2%), medicaments (3.9%), computers (3.3%), ships (2.6%), and crude oil (2.2% - data Comtrade). Shipping is a key sector of the Danish economy, and transport is one of its main traded services.

According to Comtrade data, in 2025, Denmark’s main export destinations were Germany (12.9%), Sweden (7.9%), the U.S. (5.5%), the Netherlands (5.4%), and Norway (5.3%). The country’s imports principal origins were Germany (19.3%), Sweden (11.5%), the Netherlands (8.8%), China (7.2%), and Poland (4.8%). Considered as a whole, the European Union was Denmark’s main importing and exporting partner.

Denmark has a structural trade balance surplus (2009 being the last time the country had a negative balance). In 2025, Denmark exported goods worth USD 148.4 billion (+11.3%), while imports stood at USD 136.2 billion for goods (+10.9% y-o-y); in 2024, exports of services reached USD 128.9 billion (+6.8%) against USD 125.5 billion of imports (+9.2% – data WTO). According to data from the World Bank, the overall trade surplus for goods and services stood at 11.0% of GDP in 2025, up from 10.2% one year earlier.

 
Foreign Trade Values 20212022202320242025
Imports of Goods (million USD) 120,307129,201120,336122,842136,227
Exports of Goods (million USD) 125,945131,702129,140133,335148,379
Imports of Services (million USD) 87,193106,786114,842125,520128,920
Exports of Services (million USD) 100,393135,641120,716128,881132,483

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20212022202320242025
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 112.3132.0129.6131.8129.2
Trade Balance (million USD) 11,9189,46430,53940,079n/a
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) 25,05938,30736,42143,516n/a
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 9.66.02.54.1-0.4
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 7.76.67.87.13.0
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 53.161.260.360.859.1
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 59.270.869.371.070.1

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 2026 (e)2027 (e)2028 (e)2029 (e)2030 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) 2.62.42.01.81.8
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 3.03.01.81.51.5

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Denmark is a member of the following international economic organisations: IMF, European Union, WTO, G-9, ICC, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), OECD, among others. For the full list of economic and other international organisations in which participates Denmark click here.
Free Trade Agreements
The complete and up-to-date list of Free Trade Agreements signed by Denmark can be consulted here.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2025
Germany 12.9%
Sweden 7.9%
United States 5.5%
Netherlands 5.4%
Norway 5.3%
See More Countries 63.0%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2025
Germany 19.3%
Sweden 11.5%
Netherlands 8.8%
China 7.2%
Poland 4.8%
See More Countries 48.3%

Source: Comtrade, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

148.5 bn USD of products exported in 2025
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 13.0%
Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic...Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses; antisera and other blood fractions and immunological products, whether or not modified or obtained by means of biotechnological processes; vaccines, toxins, cultures of micro-organisms (excl. yeasts) and similar products 3.2%
Hormones, prostaglandins, thromboxanes and...Hormones, prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes, natural or reproduced by synthesis; derivatives and structural analogues thereof "incl. chain modified polypeptides", used primarily as hormones 2.6%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 2.0%
Meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozenMeat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen 1.9%
See More Products 77.2%
135.9 bn USD of products imported in 2025
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 7.2%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 3.9%
Automatic data-processing machines and units...Automatic data-processing machines and units thereof; magnetic or optical readers, machines for transcribing data onto data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, n.e.s. 3.3%
Cruise ships, excursion boats, ferry-boats, cargo...Cruise ships, excursion boats, ferry-boats, cargo ships, barges and similar vessels for the transport of persons or goods 2.6%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude 2.2%
See More Products 80.9%

Source: Comtrade, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.

 

Main Services

127.2 bn USD of services exported in 2024
52.25%
15.33%
8.25%
7.60%
6.39%
4.97%
1.85%
0.95%
0.90%
0.73%
0.39%
0.38%
121.3 bn USD of services imported in 2024
40.55%
27.81%
9.40%
8.97%
3.33%
2.92%
2.26%
2.23%
1.33%
0.72%
0.33%
0.14%

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: October 2026