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The
Economic Freedom
Network

 

Denmark

Total Government Expenditures

Economic Freedom Rating

As a Percent of GDP

denmark.gif (5928 bytes)

Part 1: The Economic Freedom Ratings for the Components and Various Area and

Summary Indexes: 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1995.

(The numbers in parentheses indicate the actual values for the components.)

Components of Economic Freedom

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

I. Money and Inflation

4.8

5.5

3.9

9.1

10.0

(a) Annual Money Growth (last 5 yrs.)

6

(12.2)

7

(8.8)

4

(14.7)

7

(8.6)

10

(1.8)

(b) Inflation Variablity (last 5 yrs.)

9

(2.1)

10

(0.8)

8

(2.4)

10

(0.8)

10

(0.3)

(c) Ownership of Foreign Currency

0

0

0

10

10

(d) Maint. of Bank Account Abroad

0

0

0

10

10

II. Government Operation

3.3

3.7

3.7

4.4

6.9

(a) Gov't Consump. (% of Total Consump.)

0

(30.7)

0

(32.3)

0

(31.6)

0

(32.8)

0

(31.8)

(b) Government Enterprises

4

4

4

4

4

(c) Price Controls

-

-

-

6

9

(d) Entry Into Business

-

-

-

-

10.0

(e) Legal System

-

-

-

-

10.0

(f) Avoidance of Neg. Interest Rates

8

10

10

10

10

III. Takings

1.3

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.5

(a) Transfers and Subsidies (% of GDP)

2

(17.8)

1

(20.8)

1

(20.4)

1

(22.6)

0

(26.5)

(b) Marginal Tax Rates (Top Rate)

1

(63)

0

(66)

0

(73)

0

(68)

1

(63.5)

(c) Conscription

0

0

0

0

0

IV. International Sector

6.7

6.7

7.7

7.5

8.2

(a) Taxes on International Trade (Avg.)

9

(0.9)

10

(0.1)

10

(0.0)

10

(0.0)

10

(0.0)

(b) Black Market Exchange Rates (Prem.)

8

(1)

7

(2)

10

(0)

10

(0)

10

(0)

(c) Size of Trade Sector (% of GDP)

3

(30.6)

3

(33.3)

4

(36.5)

3

(32.8)

2

(32.4)

(d) Capital Transactions with Foreigners

5

5

5

5

8

Economic Freedom Rating

3.9

3.8

3.7

4.8

5.9

Ranking of Country

55

57

73

43

42

 

Part 2: Recent Economic Indicators:

Population 1996:

5.3

Real Per Capita GDP

:

1996=

$21,777

(in millions)

(in 1995 U.S. dollars)

Annual Rate of Change (1985-96):

0.2%

Avg. Growth Rate:

1980-90=

2.0%

1990-96=

1.8%

Economic Indicators:*

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

Change in Real GDP: Aggregate

1.2

0.6

1.4

1.3

0.2

1.5

4.4

2.6

2.7

: Per Capita

1.0

0.4

1.2

1.1

0.0

1.3

4.2

2.4

2.5

Inflation Rate (CPI)

4.6

4.8

2.6

2.4

2.1

1.3

2.0

2.1

2.3

Change in Money Supply: (M1)

19.5

0.4

8.1

9.2

-0.9

10.5

-1.4

4.6

8.9

: (M2)

5.4

1.3

6.5

6.1

-0.7

19.7

-10

6.2

7.9

Investment/GDP Ratio

17.9

18.4

17.3

16.4

15.4

14.2

14.8

17.5

-

Size of Trade Sector (% of GDP)

31.0

32.8

32.8

34.1

33.2

30.8

32.0

32.4

-

Total Gov't Exp./GDP Ratio

59.4

59.6

58.6

59.2

61.1

63.7

63.6

60.9

61.6

p

General Government Budget

Deficit (-) or Surplus (+)

As a Percent of GDP

0.6

-0.5

-1.5

-2.1

-2.9

-3.9

-3.5

-1.6

-1.5

Unemployment Rate

8.6

9.3

9.6

10.5

11.4

10.1

8.2

7.1

5.6

a

* The figures in this table are in percent form.

a October, 1996.

p Preliminary.

Denmark’s 5.9 rating in 1995 placed it 42nd among the 115 countries in our study.

Denmark’s rating has improved during the last decade, primarily as the result of a freer and more stable monetary regime. During the last five years, monetary expansion has been low (less than 5%) and the inflation rate has been steady at an annual rate of approximately 2%. The former restrictions on the maintenance of foreign currency bank accounts have been abolished. Removal of prior restrictions limiting the mobility of capital have also contributed to Denmark’s recent improvement.

The strengths of this economy are monetary stability and relatively free international exchange. (Note the high ratings in each of these areas.) Its major deficiencies are huge government consumption and transfer sectors and the high taxes required for their finance. Government now takes 60% of the Danish GDP, up from 48% in 1975. The current top marginal tax rate of 63.5% is one of the highest in the world. Even though the legal and economic institutions of this country are strong, economic freedom is limited when 60% of the income is channelled by the government, rather than by markets reflecting the personal choices of individuals.





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Last Modified: Wednesday, October 20, 1999.