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Denmark's innovation performance ranks 2nd among 27 EU markets

Denmark is in the absolute top among the European Union’s member states in terms of innovation. According to the European Commission’s latest annual assessment, Denmark’s innovation performance is ranked 2nd out of the 27 EU member states. 
The European Commission publishes a comparative analysis of the innovation performance of the 27 EU member states every year. The 2025 edition of the “European Innovation Scoreboard” shows that Denmark is among the very top performers (see figure below).  
EU innovation scoreboard 2025
Source: European innovation scoreboard -European Commission

Denmark is thus among the EU’s four “Innovation leaders”, only surpassed by Sweden.

The 2025 European Innovation Scoreboard calculates an aggregate innovation performance score based on 32 variables, including the share of the population with tertiary education, the annual number of new STEM doctorate graduates, the number of most cited scientific publications, the quality of the country’s digital infrastructure, and patent/trademark applications. 

The 2025 European Innovation Scoreboard emphasises that “the mature Danish innovation ecosystem is effective in integrating innovation within business activities, supported by strong policy frameworks such as the Innovation Fund Denmark and the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.”

The 2025 EU Scoreboard also notes that “Denmark’s framework conditions remain among the best in the EU. This is the result of various factors, including a skilled and adaptable workforce, a strong culture of continuous education, a high-quality international and productive research system, and excellent digital infrastructure.”

Likely reflecting the strength of Denmark’s highly innovative economy and strong global competitiveness, the 2025 EU Scoreboard notes that FDI inflows into the Danish economy are four times higher than the EU average.

About the European Innovation Scoreboard

The European Innovation Scoreboard is published annually by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Research and Innovation). It evaluates 32 indicators across various innovation dimensions, such as the annual number of new doctorate graduates, the share of the population with tertiary education, the number of scientific publications among the most cited, broadband penetration, patent and trademark applications, and exports from knowledge-intensive sectors.

Based on these indicators, the European Innovation Scoreboard calculates a score for each country, indexed against the European Union’s overall score in 2018. 

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