New figures from Danmarks Statistik show that more than 50,000 people in Denmark are 90 years old or older, the first time the country has passed that mark.
The milestone was reported on August 13, 2026, by DR, which based the figure on newly published numbers from the national statistics agency. The public broadcaster described it as the highest number recorded in Denmark.
To illustrate the demographic shift, DR profiled two people who belong to the group: 90-year-old Gurli Henriksen and 92-year-old Kurt Flemming Jespersen. Henriksen turned 90 a few weeks ago, shortly before the new figures were released.
Her birthday was celebrated at Fynshoved Grillen in Martofte on Nordfyn, where DR Nyheder later met the couple. According to Henriksen, the day was spent with a large group of friends and included hugs and congratulations.
The two live in separate homes, in Odense and in Langeskov on Funen. As reported by DR, they spend a great deal of time together, both during the day and at night, and share an interest in dancing and socializing with friends.
Henriksen has also been keen on Lego for several years, a hobby she had to sell to Jespersen. Per her account to DR, he initially dismissed the bricks entirely, then began joining in, and is now just as enthusiastic as she is.
A dance floor meeting in the 1950s
The couple have been together for eight years, but their first encounter came much earlier. In the late 1950s, Jespersen, then a young soldier, was out with friends at a dance bar in Odense, where he danced repeatedly with Henriksen.
He told DR that he eventually asked whether the two of them could become a couple, and that the answer was no. Henriksen was already in a relationship and had children at the time, and the dancing ended there.
More than 60 years later, the two ran into each other by chance at Seniorhuset in Odense on a cold December day. That meeting, eight years ago, marked the start of their current relationship. Henriksen describes them as good friends whom others call sweethearts, and says they occasionally present themselves that way.
Both said staying active matters to them, even though neither has obligations to anyone but themselves. Jespersen told DR that people should not simply sink into an armchair as they age, and Henriksen added that the activity itself is beside the point, as long as it involves being among other people.
DR attributed the population figure to Danmarks Statistik and did not publish a further breakdown of the group by age or region. The report was published as the new statistics became available.
