Copenhagen, Denmark Population

The capital and most populous city in the country of Denmark, Copenhagen has a population of 1.3 million people in the urban area of Copenhagen and 1.1 million in the city area. It has a population density of 4,603 people per square kilometer within the city. Compared to the rest of Denmark’s 137 people per square kilometer, Copenhagen is very densely populated. Located on the eastern coast of the country and facing Malmö, Sweden across the strait of Øresund, Copenhagen was once a Viking fishing village before it grew to become Copenhagen’s capital in the 15th century.

Copenhagen is the governmental, cultural, and economic centre of Denmark and has a rapidly developing economy. It is one of the major financial centres of Northern Europe and is the home of the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. Over time, Copenhagen has become deeply connected to and integrated with the province of Scania and its largest city of Malmö. Copenhagen is home to such impressive landmarks such as the Tivoli Gardens, The Little Mermaid statue, the palaces of the Amalienborg and Christiansborg, and Rosenborg Castle Gardens.

A city in love with bicycles

Residents of Copenhagen are avid bicyclists. More than half of the city’s residents commute by bicycle along the city’s 250 miles of bike lanes. Almost as many people commute by bicycle in the greater area of Copenhagen than do in the entire United States. The city also has a cycling “super highway” that connects the city of Copenhagen to the suburb of Albertslund. The one issue the city does run into with bikes is with parking. Sidewalks and city squares are often jammed with bicycles from the many commuters.

Copenhagen’s demographics

Most of the people of Copenhagen are of Danish origin, with 73% identifying as having Danish roots. There are also 41,000 immigrants from Western nation and another 15% of the population that are descendants of non-Western nations. Following those of Danish origin, the next most common country of birth would be Pakistan and Turkey.

When it comes to religion, most residents of Copenhagen belong to the Lutheran Church of Denmark. Almost 62% of the city’s population confirm membership to the church by paying church taxes. This number is a bit lower than the Danish average of 79%. The second-most common religious affiliation is Roman Catholicism. There are also 150,000 Muslims in the city, most of which live in Nørrebro and the Vestegnen. There are also 7,000 Jewish residents that call the city home, which is the bulk of the Jewish population of Denmark.

Population growth

The persistent growth of the Danish population continued until 1971, when the total population started to decline. This decline lasted until 1990, when the population began to grow again. This growth has continued in the past few decades and is predicted to continue growing, with estimates putting the population at 1.4 million by 2035.

Quality of living

Copenhagen has continued to rank high in international surveys for its quality of life. The city’s stable economy, combined with its education services and social safety has continued to make it an attractive location to live and to visit. While Copenhagen is one of the most expensive cities to live in, it is also one of the most liveable. The city’s environmental policies, its cycling amenities, and its public transportation system elevate Copenhagen to one of the “most liveable cities” in the world. Copenhagen beats out other cities like London, Barcelona, and Stockholm and is ninth out of 221 cities reviewed by the Mercer 2011 Quality Living Survey.

Unfortunately, Copenhagen is not quite so welcoming for students and its scores for employer activity and affordability are lower than expected.