Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Denmark
Denmark: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) was 6.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Denmark, 1973–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Denmark is 6.3%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 7.8% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Denmark peaked at 12.0% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1973.
That places Denmark 61st out of 181 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Denmark, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 1.1% | — |
| 1974 | 5.9% | +435.6% |
| 1975 | 5.8% | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 6.0% | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 6.5% | +8.6% |
| 1978 | 6.1% | -6.1% |
| 1979 | 6.0% | -2.3% |
| 1980 | 6.5% | +8.4% |
| 1981 | 12.0% | +84.4% |
| 1982 | 9.7% | -19.1% |
| 1983 | 9.2% | -5.6% |
| 1984 | 7.8% | -15.0% |
| 1985 | 6.4% | -18.1% |
| 1986 | 4.6% | -28.5% |
| 1987 | 5.2% | +14.2% |
| 1988 | 5.8% | +11.2% |
| 1989 | 7.5% | +29.9% |
| 1990 | 7.8% | +4.3% |
| 1991 | 8.3% | +5.9% |
| 1992 | 8.3% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 10.4% | +25.4% |
| 1994 | 7.2% | -30.7% |
| 1995 | 5.6% | -22.1% |
| 1996 | 5.5% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 4.5% | -18.4% |
| 1998 | 3.9% | -14.7% |
| 1999 | 4.5% | +16.5% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | -9.9% |
| 2001 | 3.6% | -10.3% |
| 2002 | 4.2% | +16.9% |
| 2003 | 5.1% | +20.3% |
| 2004 | 5.0% | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 4.4% | -11.3% |
| 2006 | 3.3% | -24.9% |
| 2007 | 3.4% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 7.1% | +111.7% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | +22.0% |
| 2011 | 7.9% | -8.4% |
| 2012 | 7.8% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 7.1% | -8.7% |
| 2014 | 6.7% | -5.5% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | -10.0% |
| 2016 | 5.6% | -6.9% |
| 2017 | 5.6% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 4.9% | -12.3% |
| 2019 | 4.8% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 5.3% | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 5.0% | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 4.4% | -12.5% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | +12.6% |
| 2024 | 5.9% | +18.7% |
| 2025 | 6.3% | +7.8% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 6.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.8%, 1.3× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 6.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.4%, 1.2× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Denmark changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +435.6% | 1.1% | 5.9% |
| 2009 | +111.7% | 3.3% | 7.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.4% | 1.1% | 6.5% | 7 |
| 1980s | 7.5% | 4.6% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.6% | 3.9% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.4% | 3.3% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 4.8% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.3% | 4.4% | 6.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More work & labour data for Denmark
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1261 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1196 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1326 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.51 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.3351 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,829 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 485.03 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,899 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,964 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,863 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Denmark?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Denmark was 6.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 12.0% in 1981.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1973.
- How does Denmark rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Denmark ranks 61st out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Denmark data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.