Governments / Countries / Denmark

How is Denmark governed?

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. Its head of state is the king and its head of government is the prime minister. Real power sits with the prime minister.

Show on the map Regime timeline Full history of Denmark

Questions people ask

Is Denmark a monarchy or a republic?
Denmark is a monarchy: a constitutional monarchy. King: Frederik X.
Who really rules Denmark?
The prime minister holds the real executive power. Head of state: King. Head of government: Prime Minister.
How is the head of state of Denmark chosen?
Hereditary.
Does Denmark have a king?
It has a monarch: King Frederik X, on the throne since 2024. Succession: hereditary.
Is Denmark a federation?
No. It is a unitary state, but some regions govern themselves.
How many chambers does the parliament of Denmark have?
One chamber: Folketing (179 seats).
Has Denmark ever been a republic?
Not in the period covered by this site.

Parliament: Folketing

Denmark's legislature has one chamber, 179 seats in all. Each dot is one seat; party seat counts are on IPU Parline.

FolketingSingle chamber · 179 seats

Regime history

One label per period, on Denmark's present-day identity.

16602026
YearsRegimeState
1660–1849 Absolute monarchy or empire Absolute monarchy source
1849–1940 Constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy (constitution of 1849) source
1940–1945 Foreign occupation German occupation source
1945–today Constitutional monarchy Kingdom of Denmark source