| Economy - overview: | This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. Government objectives include streamlining the bureaucracy and further privatization of state assets. The government has been successful in meeting, and even exceeding, the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase (a common European currency) of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), but Denmark has decided not to join 12 other EU members in the euro; even so, the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro. Growth in 2005 was sluggish, yet above the scanty 0.3% of 2003. Because of high GDP per capita, welfare benefits, a low Gini index, and political stability, the Danish people enjoy living standards topped by no other nation. A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to retirees. |
| GDP - per capita | $33,500 (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate (%) | 2.2% (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets; pork, dairy products; fish |
| GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 2.2%, industry: 24%, services: 73.8% (2005 est.) |
| Industries | iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products, shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills |
| Population below poverty line (%) | NA |
| Debt - external | $352.9 billion (30 June 2005) |
| Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 4%, industry 17%, services 79% (2002 est.) |
Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
