Real size
How big is Denmark really?
42,400 km²
16,400 sq mi · 37th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Switzerland
Normal web maps draw it 3.2× too big
Denmark covers 42,400 km² (16,400 sq mi), about the size of Switzerland. A normal web map draws it about 3.2 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 56°N), and those maps stretch land more the closer it gets to the North Pole.
Measured from our map outlines, so official figures can differ by a few percent. Ranks count the 167 countries and territories on these pages: those over 5,000 km², not counting disputed territories.
- Real area
- 42,400 km²
- Size rank
- 131st of 167
- On a normal web map
- 3.2× too big
- Latitude
- 56°N
Countries about the same size
- SwitzerlandAbout the same size
- BhutanDenmark is 1.1 times the size of Bhutan
- EstoniaEstonia is 1.1 times the size of Denmark
- SlovakiaSlovakia is 1.1 times the size of Denmark
- NetherlandsDenmark is 1.1 times the size of the Netherlands
Denmark through history
Borders here have moved many times. Step through our maps, from 2000 BCE to today, to see who ruled this land before, and how big their realms really were.
Open the history map →Browse the eras →
Common questions
- How big is Denmark?
- Denmark covers about 42,400 km² (16,400 sq mi). It is the 37th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Denmark look so big on maps?
- Most web maps use the Mercator projection, which keeps shapes right but stretches area more and more toward the poles. Averaged over the whole country, it draws Denmark about 3.2 times too big.
- Is Denmark bigger than Bhutan?
- Yes. Denmark is about 1.1 times the size of Bhutan.
- Is Denmark bigger than Switzerland?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Denmark bigger than Estonia?
- No. Estonia is about 1.1 times the size of Denmark.