Denmark - Industry

Manufacturing has greatly expanded since the end of World War II and now accounts for a far greater share of national income than does agriculture. In 2002, manufacturing (including mining and utilities) accounted for 26% of the GDP, employing 17% of the total working population. In the important food and drink industry, which tends to be relatively stable, the pattern differs for various branches, but meat packing has developed remarkably. The chemical, metalworking, and pharmaceutical industries have made notable progress. Handicrafts remain important, and Danish stone, clay, glass, wood, and silver products are world famous. The industrial share of total commodity exports increased from 31% in 1951 to 50% in 1969, and to 70% in 1992. In the world market, Danish manufacturers, having a limited supply of domestic raw materials, a relatively small home market, and a naturally advantageous geographic position, have concentrated on the production of high-quality specialized items rather than those dependent on mass production. For example, Denmark became the world's largest supplier of insulin, the raw materials for which come from livestock intestines, and, because of a social law creating a large domestic market, Denmark came to produce 20% of the world's hearing-aid spectacles.

Machinery, by far the most important industrial export, includes cement-making machinery, dairy machinery, diesel engines, electric motors, machine tools, and refrigeration equipment. Other important exports are canned foods, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, furniture, metal and paper products, ships, and textiles.