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Immigration 2024101,72414th in the EU-27
Net migration 2024+32,257immigration − emigration
First-time asylum claims 20251,86016th in the EU-27 · 0.3% UE
New citizenships 20246,25514th in the EU-27

Denmark ranks 14th in the EU-27 for regular immigration: in 2024 it registered 101,724 arrivals and 69,467 departures, for a net balance of +32,257. In 2025 first-time asylum applications came to 1,860, 0.3% of the EU total; citizenship acquisitions in 2024 numbered 6,255.

Regular migration

The series includes all citizenships — EU citizens moving between member states and returning nationals included — and counts those moving their usual residence for at least 12 months. Compared with 2019, immigration is up 66%.

Immigration Emigration

Regular migration, Denmark, by year · Eurostat
YearImmigrationEmigrationNet
2024101,72469,467+32,257
202398,34468,172+30,172
2022121,18362,927+58,256
202163,48944,008+19,481
202057,23053,822+3,408
201961,38466,520−5,136
201864,66960,381+4,288
201768,57956,403+12,176
201674,38352,654+21,729
201578,49244,625+33,867
201468,38844,426+23,962
201360,31243,310+17,002
201254,40943,663+10,746
201152,83341,593+11,240
201052,23641,456+10,780
200951,80039,899+11,901
200857,35738,356+19,001

Asylum applications

First-time applications for international protection lodged in Denmark in 2025 came to 1,860 (the 16th-highest in the EU). The series peak remains 2015, with 20,850 applications.

First-time asylum applications, Denmark, by year · Eurostat
YearFirst-time claims
20251,860
20242,210
20232,375
20224,510
20212,015
20201,435
20192,650
20183,500
20173,135
20166,070
201520,850
201414,565
20137,230
20126,080
20113,990
20105,105
20093,775
20082,375

New citizenships

In 2024 citizenship acquisitions came to 6,255, the 14th-highest in the EU-27. It is a lagging indicator: today's new citizens typically immigrated several years ago.

Citizenship acquisitions, Denmark, by year · Eurostat
YearAcquisitions
20246,255
20233,355
20225,149
20216,483
20207,076
20191,781
20182,836
20177,272
201615,028
201511,745
20144,747
20131,750
20123,598
20114,243
20104,027
20096,852
20086,022

Who leaves

In 2024, 16,887 of the country's own citizens moved abroad (the 15th-highest in the EU). The true number is almost certainly higher: emigration is measured through de-registrations, and people who leave do not always deregister.

How to read these numbers. Regular migration follows the UN definition (residence ≥ 12 months) and also includes EU citizens and returning nationals. “First-time applications” exclude repeat claims in the same country. Emigration, based on de-registrations, is generally undercounted. Definitions in the glossary, sources and limits in the methodology.

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