Denmark’s arms imports have roughly tripled in five years, according to SIPRI’s arms-transfer database, even as the country’s new government pledges to buy more weapons from Danish and European manufacturers, giving them higher priority in defence procurement.
The numbers tell a different story than the political rhetoric. While Denmark’s freshly installed coalition promises to strengthen the domestic defence industry and prioritise European procurement, SIPRI data indicate the country has sharply increased its foreign weapons purchases in recent years.
According to SIPRI and World Bank data, military expenditure as a share of GDP climbed from about 1.3 percent in 2018 to about 2.0 percent in 2023. That now puts Denmark ahead of Germany, which increased military spending from about 1.2 percent of GDP in 2018 to about 1.6 percent in 2023. The country is importing more arms than ever while simultaneously declaring its intent to build capacity at home.
The Mette Frederiksen III government, presented by the Prime Minister’s Office with Jeppe Bruus as Defence Minister, has made the defence industry a priority. As reported by Altinget, the coalition platform dedicates four full pages to security policy and explicitly states that military materiel, software and other defence solutions should increasingly be procured from Danish and European companies.
More than 500 companies in the mix
According to Dansk Industri’s Defence and Security Association, Denmark’s defence industry comprises more than 500 companies spread across the country. About 45 form a core where defence markets represent a significant business area. Industry representatives say this core group is larger today than it was a decade ago.
The government aims to create a long awaited national defence industry strategy. As stated in the platform and reported by Altinget, the goal is supply security and building capacity in both Danish and European defence industries. The message is clear: more defence equipment should carry a Made in Denmark or Made in Europe label.
But the import surge suggests Denmark is a long way from meeting military needs with domestic production. The near tripling of arms imports in recent years reflects a country scrambling to modernise and expand capabilities in response to rising threats. The domestic industry, while growing, cannot yet keep pace with demand.
Fast tracking military infrastructure
Parallel to the industrial push, a new bill registered as L 222 aims to speed up defence related construction and operational projects. The law covers building and infrastructure projects as well as operational activities with significant national defence purposes. It introduces more centralised, fast-track procedures for designated defence projects, which in some cases reduce the role of ordinary municipal and environmental permitting.
The Defence Ministry has summarised the intent plainly: to enable the government to carry out construction and operational projects necessary to strengthen Denmark’s defence capability more quickly. For residents near ports, bases or industrial zones, this could in some cases mean accelerated building with reduced local consultation.
The labour market implications are worth watching. According to Statistics Denmark, there were 3,085,275 employees in April 2026, up roughly seven to eight percent from around 2,874,000 a decade earlier. Armed forces personnel rose from about 15,500 in 2016 to about 16,950 in 2023, a nine percent increase, according to World Bank and SIPRI data. Analysts expect competition for skilled workers to intensify as the defence sector expands alongside civilian employers.
What this means for internationals
For foreign nationals living and working in Denmark, the defence industry shift could bring both opportunities and complications. More openings may emerge in engineering, IT and construction tied to defence projects. Those roles may come with security clearance requirements that could complicate employment for non-citizens.
There are also ethical questions for internationals considering defence sector work. Denmark’s self-image as a peace oriented country sits alongside an accelerating arms industry. Meanwhile, increased military spending raises broader fiscal questions about whether the country can sustain rising defence budgets without affecting welfare, education or green transition programmes that shape quality of life for everyone, citizens and expats alike.
The gap between import reality and domestic ambition will take years to close. Until then, Denmark is buying foreign while building local, a transitional phase that reflects broader European efforts to create a credible defence industrial base in an unstable geopolitical climate.
