The Copenhagen divorce rate is the highest among Denmark’s municipalities, according to a new comparison by pension and life insurance company Velliv reported by Politiken. Each year, around 1.6 percent of married couples living in Copenhagen divorce, almost twice the rate recorded in the municipality with the lowest figure.
At the opposite end of the ranking is Lemvig, in western Jutland, where around 0.9 percent of marriages end in divorce each year, according to the figures reported by TV 2 Kosmopol.
The figures point to a broader geographical pattern in Denmark, with divorce rates generally higher in larger cities than in smaller municipalities.
Copenhagen divorce rate is higher than in other large cities
Copenhagen also stands out when compared with Denmark’s other major cities.
The annual divorce rate is 1.33 percent in Odense, 1.24 percent in Aalborg and 1.19 percent in Aarhus, according to figures published alongside the Velliv comparison.
The difference does not necessarily mean that living in Copenhagen itself causes marriages to end. The composition of the population, including the age of married couples, can affect municipal divorce rates.
Research professor Peter Fallesen of the Rockwool Foundation told Politiken that younger married couples tend to have a higher risk of divorce. One possible explanation is that younger couples have, on average, known each other for a shorter period before marrying.
Official figures from Statistics Denmark also show a strong relationship between age and divorce. In 2025, 25 out of every 1,000 married people aged 25 to 29 divorced, compared with 12 per 1,000 among people aged 55 to 59.
Why divorce may be more common in large cities
Population density may also play a role.
Economics professor Michael Svarer of Aarhus University, who has studied the relationship between geography and divorce, told Politiken that people living in densely populated areas are exposed to a larger number of potential alternative partners.
“When we face many temptations, the risk of divorce rises,” Svarer said.
According to the research cited by Politiken, the probability of divorce tends to decrease when married couples move away from major urban areas. In suburbs and smaller towns, where population density and the number of potential new partners are lower, marriages appear statistically more stable.
The finding also illustrates a broader feature of urban life. Large cities provide a wider social environment in which people can meet prospective partners before marriage, but the same concentration of social contacts continues once people are married.
These findings describe statistical relationships rather than a simple causal rule. Differences in age, household composition and other demographic characteristics can also contribute to the gap between municipalities.
Denmark recorded more than 14,000 divorces in 2025
Across Denmark, 14,383 married couples divorced in 2025, according to Statistics Denmark.
That corresponds to around 13 divorced people per 1,000 married people. Over the past decade, the divorce rate has declined among married people below the age of 55, while it has increased among older age groups.
The new municipal comparison therefore places Copenhagen within a wider demographic picture. Denmark’s largest city records the country’s highest annual share of marriages ending in divorce, but geography is only one of several factors associated with whether marriages last.
