Largest Urban Settlements by Population in Denmark

131 urban settlements in Denmark with 5,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by population estimates for January 1, 2025 (by Statistics Denmark).

RankUrban SettlementPopulation
1Copenhagen (København)1,396,508
2Aarhus301,049
3Odense185,480
4Aalborg121,878
5Esbjerg71,554
6Randers64,511
7Horsens64,418
8Kolding63,645
9Vejle62,011
10Roskilde53,354
11Silkeborg52,571
12Herning51,782
13Hørsholmincl. Trørød48,349
14Helsingør48,134
15Næstved45,199
16Viborg43,645
17Fredericia41,543
18Køge38,506
19Taastrup38,178
20Holstebro37,487
21Hillerød36,604
22Slagelse35,817
23Holbæk30,903
24Sønderborg28,333
25Svendborg27,616
26Hjørring25,908
27Nørresundby24,436
28Ringsted24,094
29Ølstykke-Stenløse23,382
30Frederikshavn22,548
31Haderslev22,405
32Smørumnedreincl. Måløv21,768
33Birkerød20,976
34Farum20,369
35Skanderborg20,360
36Skive20,090
37Nyborg17,990
38Solrød Strand17,951
39Frederikssund17,583
40Ikast16,808
41Lillerød16,756
42Middelfart16,749
43HedehuseneFløng16,731
44Nykøbing (Falster)16,682
45Kalundborg16,659
46Aabenraa16,500
47Korsør14,323
48Varde14,263
49Grenaa14,127
50Rønne13,675
51Odder13,522
52Thisted13,505
53Hedensted13,458
54Værløse13,200
55Brønderslev12,946
56Frederiksværk12,837
57Haslev12,634
58Hobro12,360
59Dragør12,304
60Nakskov12,200
61Vordingborg12,093
62Jyllinge10,801
63Vejen10,416
64Lystrup10,153
65Struer9,893
66Ringkøbing9,830
67Humlebæk9,742
68Grindsted9,721
69Helsinge9,719
70Støvring9,584
71Beder-Malling9,430
72Galten9,363
73Sæby8,991
74FredensborgFredensborg Stationsby8,968
75Nykøbing (Mors)8,859
76Nivå8,769
77Aars8,708
78Løgten8,607
79Hundested8,590
80Hadsten8,560
81Hørning8,542
82Hinnerup8,529
83Sorø8,433
84Ribe8,367
85Svenstrup8,001
86Skjern7,737
87Ry7,536
88Billund7,484
89Tønder7,477
90Bjerringbro7,433
91Vojens7,424
92Skagen7,394
93Brande7,394
94Bramming7,315
95Ebeltoft7,287
96Hammel7,234
97Slangerup6,933
98Ringe6,822
99Faaborg6,763
100Lemvig6,741
101Aabybro6,721
102Gilleleje6,596
103Hornslet6,420
104Børkop6,314
105Skælskør6,304
106Rødekro6,189
107Kerteminde6,128
108Assens5,952
109Bellinge5,877
110Maribo5,786
111Hellebæk5,775
112Nordborg5,680
113Nibe5,616
114Tune5,609
115Klarup5,603
116Munkebo5,423
117Hirtshals5,347
118Strib5,280
119Otterup5,263
120Kjellerup5,247
121Fensmark5,190
122Hornbæk-Dronningmølle5,185
123Mårslet5,174
124Viby5,113
125Strøby Egede5,108
126Give5,050
127Borup5,049
128Nykøbing (Sjælland)5,016
129Vamdrup4,940
130Hadsund4,918
131Kirke Hvalsø4,877

Source: Statistics Denmark (2025 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff.

Why don't these match official city populations?Official figures typically count only the population within administrative boundaries. UN urban area figures cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.

Tokyo

33,338,852

Urban area

9,953,160

23 wards

Essen

2,709,375

Urban area

573,618

City of Essen

Ankara

3,630,865

Urban area

5,186,002

Metropolitan municipality

What counts as an urban area? The UN uses satellite imagery to map built-up land, and treats each continuous stretch of built-up land as an urban area. This means that urban areas can extend beyond official city boundaries, and may include multiple cities and towns within a single urban area.

Can an urban area be smaller than its city? Yes. While most cities have urban areas larger than their administrative boundaries, some cities have extensive administrative limits that include sparsely populated areas.

5 urban areas in Denmark with 50,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.

RankUrban AreaPopulation Estimate (2026)Yearly ChangeLand Area (km²)Density (P/km²)World RankProjections (2030)Projections (2050)
1København (Copenhagen)1,232,264+0.23%2924,2204181,243,8421,319,460
2Aarhus234,186+0.26%822,8492,535236,584239,912
3Odense132,361+1.59%522,5454,664140,775144,137
4Aalborg101,299+0.15%412,4716,172101,925102,115
5Greve Strand82,388+0.28%501,6487,67383,31884,630

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision, Online Edition.

See also