Skip to content

Life expectancy

How old do people get in Denmark? What is the average life expectancy of men and women? The statistics on life expectancy show the average number of years that persons can expect to live if their future mortality corresponds to the level established in the current period.

Explainer on…

Average further number of years that a person of a specified age can expect to live, assuming that the age-specific mortality levels remain constant (i.e. the rates observed for the period under review). Also termed: (average) expectation of life.

Selected statistics on Life expectancy

This page shows selected popular statistics on the subject of Life expectancy. In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data and compile your own statistics.

Life expectancy for 0-year-old boys and girls

Here you can see the life expectancy for 0-year-old boys and girls, respectively, and the development in the difference between them.
More about the figure
Last update
12.2.2024
Next update
12.2.2025
Source data

The primary source of the statistics is the Civil Registration System (CPR). The continuous updating of the Civil Registration System is thus the basis of the population statistics. The updating takes place in the individual municipalities as the municipal population changes because of births and deaths, migrations in and out of the municipality and changes in marital status for the citizens of the municipality. The Civil Registration System is a central system with a common database where all registrations are updated. The state makes the system available to the individual municipalities. The Danish Health Data Authority’s Birth Register and Cause of Death Register are the secondary sources providing data on births and deaths respectively.

Development in life expectancy

Here you can see the development in the life expectancy of 65-year-old men and women and the development in the difference between them.
More about the figure
Last update
12.2.2024
Next update
12.2.2025
Source data

The primary source of the statistics is the Civil Registration System (CPR). The continuous updating of the Civil Registration System is thus the basis of the population statistics. The updating takes place in the individual municipalities as the municipal population changes because of births and deaths, migrations in and out of the municipality and changes in marital status for the citizens of the municipality. The Civil Registration System is a central system with a common database where all registrations are updated. The state makes the system available to the individual municipalities. The Danish Health Data Authority’s Birth Register and Cause of Death Register are the secondary sources providing data on births and deaths respectively.

HAVE YOU SEEN?
Deaths
To be able to calculate life expectancy, deaths in the course of the year must serve as a basis, e.g. as shown here

On the statistics – documentation, sources and method

Gain an overview of the purpose, contents and quality of the statistics. Learn about the data sources of the statistics, the contents of the statistics and how often they are published.

See the documentation of statistics to learn more:

The Population

The purpose of the population statistics is to focus on the size, composition and development of the population living in Denmark. The statistics create a basis for a number of analyses on demography and society and are used as a basis for planning tasks on a national, regional and municipal level. In their basic form, the statistics have been compiled since 1769 but have undergone a series of changes as society developed and legislation followed. Most of the present table series in Statbank Denmark comprise data from 2007 and forward, while a few of these go back further.

Need more data on Life expectancy?

Find more detailed data in Statbank Denmark on life expectancy broken down by e.g. municipality and age.

Contact

Jørn Korsbø Petersen
Phone: +45 39 17 32 77