The Kingdom of Denmark is located in Northern Europe near fellow Nordic countries Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Another strategic trading partner, economic powerhouse Germany, shares Denmark’s southern border.
Although relatively small with a population of 5.84 million residents, Denmark is the world’s 53rd richest economy. Denmark’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on a Purchasing Power Parity basis was US$370.3 billion at October 2021.
Danish is Denmark’s official language. About 86% of Danes speak English as their second language. English is a mandatory educational subject in Denmark starting from elementary school.
Denmark’s demand for imported consumer goods in 2020 resulted in a subtotal US$47 billion worth of Danish spending on the 100 most valuable consumer imports identified in this article.
That consumer-driven dollar amount translates to 48.5% of the overall value of all goods imported into Denmark. Spending on all Danish imports, including raw materials, intermediate products and semi-finished goods, totaled an estimated overall $96.8 billion in 2020.
Among Denmark’s most valuable imported consumer products in 2020 are: cars; medications; computers including optical readers; phone devices including smartphones; and processed petroleum oils.
Spending on all of Denmark’s imported goods declined by -0.4% from 2019 to 2020. Denmark’s purchases focused on its top 100 consumer imports increased in value by 1.2% over the latest annual period.
The deceleration in Danish spending for key imported consumer products was much less than the global average from 2019 to 2020, which was an average drop of -8.2% for all importing countries around the world.
Among the top 100 consumer products imported by Denmark, 50 increased in total value from 2019 to 2020 whereas the other 50 declined. Changes in Danish consumer demand for essential imports offer future opportunities for international suppliers who correctly anticipate which upward or downward trends will continue.
Consumer Products Defined
Economics educator BoyceWire defines a consumer product as a final good or end product that a business creates for consumers to buy. For example, consumers often purchase refined petroleum oil at the gas station while imported crude oil is an intermediate good subject to further processing before being sold to end users.
Although there may be a few wealthy individual buyers, products like turbojets are excluded from the consumer products targeted by this study. That is because turbojets are usually purchased by corporations. In contrast, it is common for a consumer to buy a motorcycle.
Types of Consumer Products
This article focuses on 3 distinct consumer product types.
Convenience Products are easy to access, non-durable, have relatively lower prices and therefore consumers frequently purchase them. Examples of convenience products are food, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and soap.
Shopping Products are not as easily available, involve more time to make a buying decision, are durable and are not bought as often as most convenience products. A great example of a shopping product is a mobile phone where buying the wrong model is a much more expensive mistake than buying a disappointing loaf of bread.
Specialty Products describe another consumer product type. This grey area includes infrequently purchased, expensive, durable and sometimes rare items. Consumers may consider the product’s brand image when making their purchase decisions. Some examples of speciality products are gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, and branded refrigerators and dishwashers.
Table of Key Danish Consumer Imports
The searchable marketing intelligence table below showcases Denmark’s 100 highest-value imported consumer products in descending order. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level.
The table’s fourth column is labeled YOY for year over year. The fifth column identifies each entry’s consumer product type.
| # | Imported Product | US$ | YOY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cars | $4,731,062,000 | -3.3% | SP |
| 2 | Medications | $3,758,315,000 | +19.3% | CP |
| 3 | Computers, optical readers | $2,710,137,000 | +25.9% | SP |
| 4 | Phones | $2,467,005,000 | +8.2% | SP |
| 5 | Processed petroleum oils | $1,558,315,000 | -45.7% | CP |
| 6 | Miscellaneous furniture | $1,030,726,000 | +9.6% | SP |
| 7 | Whole fish (fresh) | $966,124,000 | -4.7% | CP |
| 8 | Automobile parts/accessories | $848,035,000 | -4.1% | SP |
| 9 | Electrical converters/power units | $810,135,000 | +10.1% | SP |
| 10 | Wine | $793,487,000 | +8.3% | CP |
| 11 | Trucks | $790,613,000 | -16.1% | SP |
| 12 | Seats (not barber/dentist chairs) | $768,922,000 | +5.8% | SP |
| 13 | Women's clothing (not knit/crochet) | $739,942,000 | -8.1% | SP |
| 14 | Petroleum gas | $650,199,000 | +171.6% | CP |
| 15 | Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet) | $637,358,000 | -5.2% | SP |
| 16 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $601,275,000 | +12.3% | CP |
| 17 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $596,703,000 | +8.3% | CP |
| 18 | Men's suits (unknit/non-crochet) | $583,245,000 | -2.7% | SP |
| 19 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $575,939,000 | +7.3% | SP |
| 20 | Fuel wood, wood chips, sawdust | $512,303,000 | -19.2% | CP |
| 21 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $494,313,000 | -3.2% | SP |
| 22 | Liquid pumps | $493,402,000 | +8.2% | SY |
| 23 | Refrigerators, freezers | $492,684,000 | +8% | SY |
| 24 | Microphones/headphones/amps | $484,106,000 | +7.7% | SP |
| 25 | Insulated wire/cable | $481,362,000 | -3% | SP |
| 26 | Trailers | $470,903,000 | -5.8% | SP |
| 27 | Footwear (leather) | $454,478,000 | -12.8% | SP |
| 28 | T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet) | $442,538,000 | -8% | SP |
| 29 | Printing machinery | $430,737,000 | +4.1% | SP |
| 30 | Fresh or chilled beef | $429,332,000 | -2% | CP |
| 31 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $421,818,000 | +14.3% | SY |
| 32 | Whole fish (frozen) | $419,323,000 | -2.7% | CP |
| 33 | Hot-rolled iron/non-alloy steel items | $415,188,000 | -10.3% | SP |
| 34 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $402,658,000 | +6.5% | CP |
| 35 | Cheese, curd | $394,578,000 | +2.9% | CP |
| 36 | Other food preparations | $376,041,000 | +5.1% | CP |
| 37 | Temperature-change machines | $356,749,000 | +15.8% | SY |
| 38 | Crustaceans (including lobsters) | $351,393,000 | +11% | CP |
| 39 | Miscellaneous toys | $343,608,000 | -11.6% | SP |
| 40 | Preserved/prepared meat | $342,306,000 | -5.2% | CP |
| 41 | Chocolate, other cocoa preps | $333,356,000 | +9.2% | CP |
| 42 | Orthopedic appliances | $327,777,000 | -2.5% | SP |
| 43 | Rubber tires (new) | $323,040,000 | -4.3% | SP |
| 44 | Beauty/makeup/skin care | $322,238,000 | -6.1% | SY |
| 45 | Fish fillets, pieces | $318,462,000 | -3.7% | CP |
| 46 | Prepared crustaceans, molluscs | $308,849,000 | -13.4% | CP |
| 47 | Women's clothing (knit or crochet) | $307,057,000 | -2.5% | SP |
| 48 | Miscellaneous textile items | $305,760,000 | +163.5% | SP |
| 49 | Computer parts, accessories | $296,050,000 | -6.4% | SP |
| 50 | Screws, bolts, washers, hooks, pins | $284,641,000 | -3.9% | SP |
| 51 | Packaged insecticides, herbicides | $284,470,000 | +2.3% | SP |
| 52 | Medication mixes not in dosage | $280,775,000 | +81.6% | CP |
| 53 | Tractors | $274,487,000 | +12% | SP |
| 54 | Household base metal mountings | $264,095,000 | +7.9% | SY |
| 55 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $263,365,000 | -14.9% | SP |
| 56 | Sports equipment | $254,682,000 | +12.6% | SP |
| 57 | Footwear (textile) | $252,001,000 | -9.6% | SP |
| 58 | Paper containers, cellulose wadding | $250,172,000 | -0.8% | SP |
| 59 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $249,888,000 | +16.1% | CP |
| 60 | Felt, other non-woven garments | $245,262,000 | +80.3% | SP |
| 61 | Women's coats (unknit/non-crochet) | $243,687,000 | -2.8% | SP |
| 62 | Dishwash, clean/dry/fill machines | $240,742,000 | -0.4% | SY |
| 63 | Mattresses, quilts | $237,160,000 | +2.4% | SP |
| 64 | Electric generating sets, converters | $221,158,000 | -35.7% | SY |
| 65 | Tissues, napkins, toilet paper | $220,578,000 | -4.8% | CP |
| 66 | Miscellaneous live plants | $216,509,000 | +9.6% | CP |
| 67 | Women's shirts (not knit or crochet) | $213,139,000 | -13.6% | SP |
| 68 | Electric storage batteries | $201,251,000 | +8.4% | SY |
| 69 | Poultry meat | $195,492,000 | -5.3% | CP |
| 70 | Video console games, table games | $192,600,000 | -8.5% | SP |
| 71 | Men's coats (unknit/non-crochet) | $184,618,000 | -12.5% | SP |
| 72 | Vacuum cleaners | $184,306,000 | +23.2% | SY |
| 73 | Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs) | $181,466,000 | -17% | CP |
| 74 | Unrecorded sound media | $179,443,000 | +8.9% | SP |
| 75 | Coffee | $172,867,000 | +2.4% | CP |
| 76 | Swine meat | $172,711,000 | +5.2% | CP |
| 77 | Other fresh/chilled vegetables | $164,884,000 | +7.3% | CP |
| 78 | Fish, caviar (preserved/prepared) | $161,795,000 | -0.2% | CP |
| 79 | Vulcanized rubber items | $158,943,000 | +3.6% | SP |
| 80 | Palm oil | $157,677,000 | +0.2% | CP |
| 81 | Sauces/condiments/seasoning | $154,593,000 | +4.9% | CP |
| 82 | Motorcycles | $152,957,000 | +17.9% | SP |
| 83 | Linens | $148,633,000 | -8.5% | SP |
| 84 | Fruit and vegetable juices | $146,317,000 | -1.4% | CP |
| 85 | Salted/dried/smoked offal, flours | $145,692,000 | -5.1% | CP |
| 86 | Vulcanized rubber apparel | $145,055,000 | +151.2% | SP |
| 87 | Table/kitchen/toiletry plastic wares | $142,048,000 | -11.6% | CP |
| 88 | Waters with added sugar | $141,061,000 | +6.4% | CP |
| 89 | Vegetable saps, extracts | $135,853,000 | +8.3% | CP |
| 90 | Motorcycle parts/accessories | $135,322,000 | -3.6% | SP |
| 91 | Fresh/dried flowers | $132,702,000 | +8.3% | CP |
| 92 | Other printed pictures, photos | $131,352,000 | -4.2% | SY |
| 93 | Fertilizer mixes | $130,008,000 | +30% | SY |
| 94 | Men's shirts (not knit/crochet) | $125,598,000 | -15.9% | SP |
| 95 | Sugar confectionery (no cocoa) | $125,335,000 | -7.4% | CP |
| 96 | Hair preparations | $123,576,000 | +4% | SP |
| 97 | Air conditioners | $123,419,000 | -3.1% | SY |
| 98 | Prepared vegetables (non-frozen) | $122,340,000 | +5.4% | CP |
| 99 | Nitrogenous fertilizers | $121,782,000 | -12.4% | SY |
| 100 | Sausages, similar goods | $121,654,000 | +2.7% | CP |
Totaling 47 items, Denmark’s most popular product type is shopping products (SP). This cohort was led by imported cars; computers; phone devices including smartphones; miscellaneous furniture; automobile parts or accessories; electrical converters or power units; and trucks.
In second place via 39 items are convenience products (CP), articles that are bought routinely, used only once and generally require less thinking time before making a buying decision. Popular examples include medications, processed petroleum oils; fresh whole fish; wine; petroleum gas; miscellaneous plastic items; and plastic packing goods like lids and caps.
Another 14 speciality products (SY) rank among Denmark’s top 100 imported consumer goods. Major speciality products imported into Denmark include liquid pumps; refrigerators or freezers; electric water heaters; temperature-change machines; and beauty, makeup or skincare goods.
Durable consumer products are goods like cars, trucks, printing machinery, insulated wire or cable, and furniture that last a relatively long time. Consumers can put durable products to use again and again. By product type, note that both shopping products and speciality products are considered as durable consumer goods.
Non-durable consumer products (ND) are goods that are not re-used once consumed. Coal, medications, sugar and corn are examples of non-durable goods. Convenience products are uniquely non-durable consumer products.
Based on the product types identified in the above table, 61 of Denmark’s highest-value consumer imported products are durable while 39 are classified as non-durable.
Using the provided table, you can also peruse the greatest increases or decreases in product values from 2019 to 2020. To do so, click on the heading of the fourth column.
Fastest-Growing Consumer Imports
Listed below are the top 10 consumer products imported into Denmark that experienced the highest percentage increases in spending from 2019 to 2020.
- Petroleum gas: Up 171.6% (US$650.2 million)
- Miscellaneous textile items: Up 163.5% ($305.8 million)
- Vulcanized rubber apparel: Up 151.2% ($145.1 million)
- Medication mixes not in dosage: Up 81.6% ($280.8 million)
- Felt, other non-woven garments: Up 80.3% ($245.3 million)
- Fertilizer mixes: Up 30% ($130 million)
- Computers including optical readers: Up 25.9% ($2.7 billion)
- Vacuum cleaners: Up 23.2% ($184.3 million)
- Medications: Up 19.3% ($3.8 billion)
- Motorcycles: Up 17.9% ($153 million)
Two among the above top 10 gainers are speciality products and therefore also durable good that consumers can re-use over time. Those speciality products are fertilizer mixes and vacuum cleaners.
There are 5 fastest-growers that we categorize as imported shopping products. These are miscellaneous textile items, vulcanized rubber apparel, felt or other non-woven garments, computers including optical readers, and motorcycles.
The remaining 3 front-runners are labeled as one-time usage (non-durable) imported convenience products. These growth leaders are petroleum gas, medication mixes not in dosage, and other medications.
Worst-Declining Consumer Imports
Spending by import buyers in Denmark on the following 10 items decreased in value by the highest percentages from 2019 to 2020.
- Processed petroleum oils: Down -45.7% ($1.6 billion)
- Electric generating sets, converters: Down -35.7% ($221.2 million)
- Fuel wood, wood chips, sawdust: Down -19.2% ($512.3 million)
- Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs): Down -17% ($181.5 million)
- Trucks: Down -16.1% ($790.6 million)
- Men’s shirts (not knit nor crocheted): Down -15.9% ($125.6 million)
- Cases, handbags, wallets: Down -14.9% ($263.4 million)
- Women’s shirts (not knit nor crocheted): Down -13.6% ($213.1 million)
- Preserved/prepared crustaceans, molluscs: Down -13.4% ($308.8 million)
- Leather footwear: Down -12.8% ($454.5 million)
Five categories among Denmark’s top 10 severest decliners are durable shopping products used over a period of time. The severest slippages among those categories were for Denmark’s imported trucks; unknitted and non-crocheted men’s shirts; cases, handbags and wallets; unknitted and non-crocheted women’s shirts; and leather footwear.
There were 4 items categorized as convenience products among Denmark’s 10 major import decliners from 2019 to 2020, namely processed petroleum oils; spirits and liqueurs; fuel wood, wood chips and sawdust; and preserved or prepared crustaceans and molluscs. The worst decline among durable speciality goods was the product category titled electric generating sets and converters.
Key Product Suppliers by Country
The following analysis reveals competitive suppliers that target demand for 5 of Denmark’s top consumer import products.
Denmark’s biggest imported consumer product by value is cars. The other 4 leading consumer goods imported into Denmark are medications, computers, phone devices including smartphones, and processed petroleum oils.
Below, you will find major supplying countries for Denmark’s imported:
Cars: Germany (45.2% of total), Sweden (18.1%), Belgium (8%), Czech Republic (7.7%), France (6.8%), South Korea (3.5%), United Kingdom (3%), Spain (2.2%), Italy (1.7%), and Netherlands (1.2%).
Medications: Germany (13.6% of total), Czech Republic (8.8%), Netherlands (7.8%), Sweden (5.6%), Ireland (5.2%), France (4.6%), Italy (4.4%), Switzerland (3.6%), Spain (2.9%), and Hungary (2.8%).
Computers: Germany (25.6% of total), Netherlands (24.8%), Sweden (24.6%), Czech Republic (4.7%), China (4.6%), Ireland (2.9%), United States (2.6%), United Kingdom (1.59%), Hungary (1.55%), and Poland (1.4%).
Phone devices including smartphones: Sweden (52.2% of total), Netherlands (21.3%), United Kingdom (5.7%), China (4.8%), Germany (3.9%), Czech Republic (1.4%), Thailand (1.2%), Finland (1.14%), Ireland (1.11%), and France (1%).
Processed petroleum oils: Sweden (27.9% of total), Russia (14%), Norway (11%), Netherlands (9.1%), Qatar (8.3%), Belgium (5.7%), United Kingdom (5.2%), Germany (3.27%), Finland (3.25%), and Kuwait (2.8%).
See also
More great research: Netherlands 100 Most Valuable Imported Consumer Products, Bangladesh’s 100 Most Valuable Imported Consumer Products, United Kingdom’s Top 100 Imported Consumer Products, 100 Top Consumer Products to Sell to Importers in Taiwan, Sweden’s Top Imported Consumer Products Ranked by Value
References
Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational portals.
BoyceWire, Consumer Goods Definition.
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Denmark Economy.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Investopedia, Consumer Goods, Consumer Staples Definition, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
Richest Country Reports, Top 100 Richest Countries by GDP.
Trading Economics, Denmark Consumer Spending.
Wikipedia, List of largest consumer markets.
Wikipedia, Denmark, Geography of Denmark, Languages of Denmark.
World’s Top Exports, Denmark’s Top 10 Imports.
