Wealth and liabilities
How large are the fortunes of people residing in Denmark? The statistics on wealth and debt include assessments of real estate, bank deposits, the value of cars, stocks and bonds, pension savings, and debt. It also highlights the distribution based on factors such as gender, age, and socioeconomic status.
Explainer on…
The median represents the point at which exactly half of the population has a higher wealth, while the other half has a lower wealth. In particular, for wealth, the average can be significantly skewed by individuals with large fortunes, making it less representative of the general population. The median is a good alternative when aiming for a clearer picture of typical wealth levels in the Danish population.
The total value of a person's or household's assets minus their liabilities. In wealth statistics, net wealth is the sum of the value of real astate, cars, bank deposits, stocks, investment funds, pension funds etc., minus debt. The 2020 definition of net wealth, the value of unquoted shares (shares not traded on the stock exchange) and all public debt arrears. The 2014 definition of net wealth excludes unquoted shares and the majority of public debt arrears.
Selected statistics on Wealth and liabilities
Correlation between age and net wealth
Data is collected from a variety of sources. Housing evaluation stems from the Danish property Assessment Authority but are adjusted to market values using sales statistics and the register on buildings and dwellings (BBR). Most data on financial assets and debt comes from the tax authorities. The value of cars is assessed by using used car sales prices from AutoBranchen Danmark and ownership of the cars are based on the car register. The pension data are collected from each of the 100 pension funds in close cooperation with the Danish National Bank and the tax authorities. The municipalities (mainly KMD) delivers data on postponed payments of real estate taxes. The Danish Debt Collection Agency (Gældsstyrelsen) delivers data on public debt. The assessment of the value of unquoted shares are done by Statistics Denmark in cooperation with the National Bank. It's mainly based on accounting statistics. The unquoted shares are distributed via the registers on ownership of businesses. LD delivers data on vacation funds.
Different types of assets
Data is collected from a variety of sources. Housing evaluation stems from the Danish property Assessment Authority but are adjusted to market values using sales statistics and the register on buildings and dwellings (BBR). Most data on financial assets and debt comes from the tax authorities. The value of cars is assessed by using used car sales prices from AutoBranchen Danmark and ownership of the cars are based on the car register. The pension data are collected from each of the 100 pension funds in close cooperation with the Danish National Bank and the tax authorities. The municipalities (mainly KMD) delivers data on postponed payments of real estate taxes. The Danish Debt Collection Agency (Gældsstyrelsen) delivers data on public debt. The assessment of the value of unquoted shares are done by Statistics Denmark in cooperation with the National Bank. It's mainly based on accounting statistics. The unquoted shares are distributed via the registers on ownership of businesses. LD delivers data on vacation funds.
Distribution of wealth in stocks
Data is collected from a variety of sources. Housing evaluation stems from the Danish property Assessment Authority but are adjusted to market values using sales statistics and the register on buildings and dwellings (BBR). Most data on financial assets and debt comes from the tax authorities. The value of cars is assessed by using used car sales prices from AutoBranchen Danmark and ownership of the cars are based on the car register. The pension data are collected from each of the 100 pension funds in close cooperation with the Danish National Bank and the tax authorities. The municipalities (mainly KMD) delivers data on postponed payments of real estate taxes. The Danish Debt Collection Agency (Gældsstyrelsen) delivers data on public debt. The assessment of the value of unquoted shares are done by Statistics Denmark in cooperation with the National Bank. It's mainly based on accounting statistics. The unquoted shares are distributed via the registers on ownership of businesses. LD delivers data on vacation funds.
Net wealth in the municipalities
Data is collected from a variety of sources. Housing evaluation stems from the Danish property Assessment Authority but are adjusted to market values using sales statistics and the register on buildings and dwellings (BBR). Most data on financial assets and debt comes from the tax authorities. The value of cars is assessed by using used car sales prices from AutoBranchen Danmark and ownership of the cars are based on the car register. The pension data are collected from each of the 100 pension funds in close cooperation with the Danish National Bank and the tax authorities. The municipalities (mainly KMD) delivers data on postponed payments of real estate taxes. The Danish Debt Collection Agency (Gældsstyrelsen) delivers data on public debt. The assessment of the value of unquoted shares are done by Statistics Denmark in cooperation with the National Bank. It's mainly based on accounting statistics. The unquoted shares are distributed via the registers on ownership of businesses. LD delivers data on vacation funds.
Negative net wealth
Data is collected from a variety of sources. Housing evaluation stems from the Danish property Assessment Authority but are adjusted to market values using sales statistics and the register on buildings and dwellings (BBR). Most data on financial assets and debt comes from the tax authorities. The value of cars is assessed by using used car sales prices from AutoBranchen Danmark and ownership of the cars are based on the car register. The pension data are collected from each of the 100 pension funds in close cooperation with the Danish National Bank and the tax authorities. The municipalities (mainly KMD) delivers data on postponed payments of real estate taxes. The Danish Debt Collection Agency (Gældsstyrelsen) delivers data on public debt. The assessment of the value of unquoted shares are done by Statistics Denmark in cooperation with the National Bank. It's mainly based on accounting statistics. The unquoted shares are distributed via the registers on ownership of businesses. LD delivers data on vacation funds.
On the statistics – documentation, sources and method
See the documentation of statistics to learn more:
The purpose of the Wealth and Debt statistics is to provide insights into the wealth and debt of individuals, families, and various population groups. The statistics were first created in the aftermath of the financial crisis in collaboration with Danmarks Nationalbank (the Danish Central Bank) and were intended, among other things, to analyze families' resilience to economic shocks. Additionally, the statistics are used in analyses of the pension system and to measure economic inequality. The statistics have been produced since 2014.