1. One in four employees in Copenhagen is international
Have you moved to Denmark from another country, or are you surrounded by colleagues with international backgrounds? Then you – and your workplace – are completely normal!
A new analysis by SMV Danmark shows that international employees now make up 23.4% of the workforce in Copenhagen. In comparison, the figure was 10.5% in 2008.
And the increase is not limited to the capital. The proportion of international employees is growing throughout Denmark. The small island of Bornholm, for example, has seen the largest percentage increase in the country.
2. More Ukrainians than Swedes are working in Denmark
Where do most internationals come from? The figures may be a little surprising.
Did you know, for example, that more Ukrainians are now working in Denmark than Germans, Swedes or Norwegians? Or that Polish people make up the largest international group of all those working in Denmark?
These are the findings of a recent study by the Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv).
3. Contributed DKK 386 billion to Denmark’s GDP in 2025
The same study also concludes that international workers contributed more to the Danish economy than ever before. In 2025, their contribution to Denmark’s GDP reached DKK 386 billion.
That is a new record.
4. Spread out across many different sectors
International employees are not concentrated in just one sector. They work across many different parts of the Danish labour market.
A study by the Danish Chamber of Commerce shows, for example, that no fewer than 20,000 new international SOSU-medarbejdere (social and healthcare workers) have joined the Danish workforce over the past ten years. It also found that one in five newly employed doctors now holds a non-Danish passport.
An analysis by the Confederation of Danish Employers (DA) also shows that people with international backgrounds make up a significant proportion of the workforce in sectors including agriculture, the service sector and information and communications.
5. Half leave Denmark again within 5 years
Although the international workforce is growing rapidly, there is also a high level of turnover. As many as 50% of international employees in the Capital Region leave Denmark again within five years – and the proportion is even higher across the country as a whole.
Through research, Copenhagen Capacity has identified several recurring reasons. These include language barriers and cultural differences, both in the workplace and in Danish society in general.
How many of these facts did you know? How many of them surprised you? Feel free to share the article.
Would you like to learn more? We have included links to all our sources (a lot of them in Danish) in the article. You can find even more figures and analyses there.