Number of immigrants living in Denmark 2022, by country of origin

With over 44,000 living in Denmark as of January 1, 2022, most immigrants came from Poland. The second and third largest groups of immigrants were from Syria and Romania, amounting to roughly 35,000 and 34,000 people, respectively.

Tightening immigration policies

Like many European countries, Denmark experienced a heightened influx of immigrants in 2015. In the wake of the refugee situation, however, the number of immigrants, notably asylum seekers, declined in part due to sharpened immigration policies. In 2015, over 21,000 refugees applied for asylum in Denmark, whereas applications fell to 1,500 in 2020, which was also partly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residence permits

Among the different types of residence permits, permits granted based on asylum were the least delivered type of permit. Only 600 people were granted asylum in Denmark in 2020. The highest number of asylum seekers came from came from Syria . In 2020, Denmark registered around 350 applications from Syrians.