Autopsy rate in Denmark
Denmark: Autopsy rate was 2.6% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Autopsy rate in Denmark, 1985–2020
Source: Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Denmark recorded 2.6% for autopsy rate in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
The figure is down 7.2% on the previous year and down 42.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, autopsy rate in Denmark peaked at 52.1% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 2020.
That places Denmark 33rd out of 39 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Autopsy rate in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 52.1% | — |
| 1986 | 50.6% | -2.9% |
| 1987 | 48.8% | -3.6% |
| 1988 | 47.3% | -3.1% |
| 1989 | 43.1% | -8.9% |
| 1990 | 33.9% | -21.3% |
| 1991 | 27.0% | -20.4% |
| 1992 | 26.1% | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 24.7% | -5.4% |
| 1994 | 22.7% | -8.1% |
| 1995 | 21.5% | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 20.4% | -5.1% |
| 2002 | 11.8% | -42.2% |
| 2003 | 8.1% | -31.4% |
| 2004 | 7.9% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 7.8% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 7.0% | -9.8% |
| 2007 | 5.0% | -27.9% |
| 2008 | 5.3% | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 5.0% | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 4.5% | -10.1% |
| 2011 | 4.4% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 4.2% | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 3.6% | -13.5% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -8.2% |
| 2016 | 3.4% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 3.1% | -8.6% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -11.4% |
| 2019 | 2.8% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 2.6% | -7.2% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 2.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.0%, 32% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 2.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 30% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Autopsy rate in Denmark changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | -42.2% | 20.4% | 11.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 48.4% | 43.1% | 52.1% | 5 |
| 1990s | 25.2% | 20.4% | 33.9% | 7 |
| 2000s | 7.2% | 5.0% | 11.8% | 8 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 2.7% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
- 30 Bulgaria 2.9% compare
- 31 North Macedonia 2.7% compare
- 31 Turkmenistan 2.7% compare
- 34 Luxembourg 1.8% compare
- 35 Netherlands 1.5% compare
- 36 Tajikistan 1.3% compare
More reference data data for Denmark
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1915 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4109 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 2.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.99 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.24 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is autopsy rate in Denmark?
- Autopsy rate in Denmark was 2.6% in 2020, according to Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest autopsy rate recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 52.1% in 1985.
- What is the lowest autopsy rate recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 2020.
- How does Denmark rank for autopsy rate?
- Denmark ranks 33rd out of 39 countries with data for 2020.
- Is autopsy rate rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Denmark data come from?
- The figures come from Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Autopsy rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of all deaths for which an autopsy was performed. Autopsies may be used to determine the cause of sudden deaths; when there is a lack of doctors and nurses, medical records, or death certificate training; or for other legal or cultural reasons.