Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Denmark

Denmark: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception was 1.47 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
1.47 births per woman
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
157th
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.67 births per woman
in 1963
All-time low
1.38 births per woman
in 1983
Years of data
65
1960–2024

Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Denmark, 1960–2024

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Source: United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.

Analysis

The most recent figure for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Denmark is 1.47 births per woman, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Denmark peaked at 2.67 births per woman in 1963 and was at its lowest, 1.38 births per woman, in 1983.

Denmark ranks 157th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 2.46 births per woman 2 births per woman 2.67 births per woman 10
1970s 1.84 births per woman 1.6 births per woman 2.04 births per woman 10
1980s 1.48 births per woman 1.38 births per woman 1.62 births per woman 10
1990s 1.74 births per woman 1.67 births per woman 1.81 births per woman 10
2000s 1.8 births per woman 1.72 births per woman 1.89 births per woman 10
2010s 1.74 births per woman 1.67 births per woman 1.87 births per woman 10
2020s 1.58 births per woman 1.47 births per woman 1.72 births per woman 5

Countries ranked near Denmark

  1. 154 Dominica 1.48 births per woman compare
  2. 154 Turkey 1.48 births per woman compare
  3. 156 Grenada 1.47 births per woman compare
  4. 159 Croatia 1.46 births per woman compare
  5. 159 Slovakia 1.46 births per woman compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More population data for Denmark

All data for Denmark →

Frequently asked questions

What is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Denmark?
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Denmark was 1.47 births per woman in 2024, according to United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Denmark?
The highest recorded value was 2.67 births per woman in 1963.
What is the lowest fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Denmark?
The lowest recorded value was 1.38 births per woman in 1983.
How does Denmark rank for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
Denmark ranks 157th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
Is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception rising or falling in Denmark?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Denmark data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception
Unit
births per woman
Source
United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 13,943 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

The total fertility rate, in a given year. The unmet need for contraception shows the estimated share of married fertile women of reproductive age who do not want to become pregnant and are not using contraception.