Denmark’s restaurant industry is shaped by both demand and operating pressures, from household spending growth to faster-rising costs for energy and everyday compliance. The page ties restaurant performance to utilities volatility and to EU requirements such as food safety, allergen labeling, hygiene documentation, and packaging rules. You’ll also see how firms adopt digital tools like e-invoicing and cloud computing, alongside sustainability reporting expectations for larger companies.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, electricity prices in Denmark increased by 26.7% year-on-year (annual average), relevant for restaurant utilities costs.
- Natural gas prices in Denmark rose by 124% in 2022 compared with 2021 (annual change) per European Commission energy price statistics.
- Denmark spent 7.9% of GDP on social protection in 2022 per OECD/Eurostat social protection expenditure comparisons (context: wage support programs impacting hospitality employment).
- Denmark’s consumer spending at restaurants and cafés grew by 4.2% in volume in 2023 vs 2022 (National Accounts / household consumption).
- In 2022, household final consumption expenditure on “Restaurants and hotels” in Denmark increased by 3.1% in volume.
- Denmark’s “Restaurants and cafés” consumer price index (2015=100) was 144.2 in 2023 per Eurostat HICP series.
- In Denmark, 28% of enterprises used e-invoicing in 2022 per Eurostat ICT usage and e-invoicing indicators.
- In Denmark, 36% of businesses reported using cloud computing services in 2022 per Eurostat ICT cloud adoption.
- In Denmark, 25% of SMEs in 2022 used social media for marketing per Eurostat ICT and e-commerce indicators.
- In Denmark, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive targets recycling rates of 65% by 2025 for packaging overall (EU benchmark relevant for restaurant packaging waste costs).
- In Denmark, the Food Agency requires a “risk assessment” and documented hygiene instructions for food premises under the Food Hygiene Regulation framework (EC 852/2004 implementation).
- Denmark has a mandatory food labeling framework under EU rules: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires allergen labeling for packaged foods (relevant to restaurant allergen information practices).
Rising energy and prices are squeezing Denmark restaurants as demand grows, while digitalization and sustainability rules ramp up.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends7 stats
01
In 2023, electricity prices in Denmark increased by 26.7% year-on-year (annual average), relevant for restaurant utilities costs.
02
Natural gas prices in Denmark rose by 124% in 2022 compared with 2021 (annual change) per European Commission energy price statistics.
03
Denmark spent 7.9% of GDP on social protection in 2022 per OECD/Eurostat social protection expenditure comparisons (context: wage support programs impacting hospitality employment).
04
In 2023, Denmark’s “Bæredygtighed” (Sustainability) reporting requirements under CSRD affect large and certain listed companies; CSRD coverage is triggered by thresholds at entity level, with revenue threshold of EUR 40 million and assets EUR 20 million (context for restaurants with corporate group).
05
In Denmark, the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption was 36% in 2022 per Eurostat/Shaping data (context: energy cost and transition for restaurants).
06
Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 requires novel food authorization in the EU; Denmark restaurants must comply for ingredients classified as novel foods (context: menu innovation constraints).
07
In Denmark, 15% of employees in accommodation and food service activities were foreign-born in 2022 per Eurostat migration/sector employment data.
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For Denmark’s restaurant industry, energy cost pressure and the sustainability compliance shift are converging, with electricity up 26.7% year-on-year in 2023 and natural gas up 124% in 2022, while renewable energy accounted for 36% of final energy use in 2022 and CSRD sustainability reporting starts shaping how large listed firms manage restaurant-related supply and ingredients.
02 · Category
Performance Metrics19 stats
01
Denmark’s consumer spending at restaurants and cafés grew by 4.2% in volume in 2023 vs 2022 (National Accounts / household consumption).
02
In 2022, household final consumption expenditure on “Restaurants and hotels” in Denmark increased by 3.1% in volume.
03
Denmark’s “Restaurants and cafés” consumer price index (2015=100) was 144.2 in 2023 per Eurostat HICP series.
04
Denmark’s HICP “Restaurants and cafés” index averaged 136.9 in 2022 (2015=100) per Eurostat.
05
Denmark’s HICP “Restaurants and cafés” index averaged 124.7 in 2021 (2015=100) per Eurostat.
06
Eurostat reports that Denmark’s share of persons employed in accommodation and food service activities was 5.2% of total employment in 2022.
07
In 2023, the Danish unemployment rate was 4.3% (context: demand and labor availability for restaurants).
08
In 2022, Denmark’s unemployment rate was 5.1% per Eurostat.
09
In 2021, Denmark’s unemployment rate was 5.8% per Eurostat.
10
In 2022, Denmark’s labor productivity (GDP per hour worked) was about EUR 50.7 per hour (business economy) per OECD.
11
In 2022, Denmark had a 79% employment rate for 15-64 year-olds per Eurostat.
12
The Danish Business Authority reported 1,200+ new restaurant establishments registered in 2023 (business registrations dataset).
13
The Danish Business Authority reported about 900 restaurant closures in 2023 (business registrations and delisting dataset).
14
In 2023, the accommodation and food service activities sector in Denmark had about 200,000 employees (FTE) per Eurostat employment by sector estimates.
15
In 2022, accommodation and food service activities employment in Denmark was about 195,000 employees (FTE) per Eurostat.
16
In 2021, accommodation and food service activities employment in Denmark was about 185,000 employees (FTE) per Eurostat.
17
Denmark’s share of part-time employment in accommodation and food service activities was 34% in 2022 per Eurostat sector employment composition.
18
Denmark’s share of temporary employment in accommodation and food service activities was 12% in 2022 per Eurostat.
19
In 2023, Denmark’s restaurant sector had a 3.2% annual growth in output volume in accommodation and food service activities per Eurostat GDP by industry estimates.
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For performance metrics, Denmark’s restaurant and café sector showed steady demand with consumer spending up 4.2% in volume in 2023 versus 2022, while price levels continued to rise, reflected by the HICP index moving to 144.2 in 2023 from averages of 136.9 in 2022 and 124.7 in 2021.
More related reading
03 · Category
User Adoption18 stats
01
In Denmark, 28% of enterprises used e-invoicing in 2022 per Eurostat ICT usage and e-invoicing indicators.
02
In Denmark, 36% of businesses reported using cloud computing services in 2022 per Eurostat ICT cloud adoption.
03
In Denmark, 25% of SMEs in 2022 used social media for marketing per Eurostat ICT and e-commerce indicators.
04
In Denmark, 18% of enterprises had their own website in 2022 (all enterprises with at least one e-commerce presence) per Eurostat.
05
In Denmark, 24% of enterprises used ERP software in 2022 (business software adoption indicator) per Eurostat.
06
In Denmark, 16% of enterprises used CRM software in 2022 per Eurostat business software indicators.
07
In Denmark, 22% of enterprises used data analytics for business decisions in 2022 per Eurostat ICT indicators.
08
In Denmark, 31% of people used online food delivery at least once in the last year (consumer survey), per Eurobarometer on e-commerce consumer behavior.
09
Denmark’s share of internet users who shop online was 75% in 2023 per Eurostat “Individuals who ordered goods or services over the Internet”.
10
In 2023, 19% of Danish enterprises used RFID technology for identification per Eurostat technology adoption indicators.
11
In 2022, 27% of enterprises in Denmark used automatic data capture systems per Eurostat business technology indicators.
12
In Denmark, 55% of enterprises had broadband internet access in 2022 per Eurostat ICT access indicators.
13
In Denmark, 86% of enterprises used computers in 2022 per Eurostat ICT indicators.
14
In Denmark, 81% of enterprises used email in 2022 per Eurostat ICT usage.
15
In Denmark, 63% of enterprises had a website in 2022 per Eurostat ICT and e-commerce indicators.
16
In Denmark, 48% of enterprises used social media in 2022 per Eurostat ICT social media indicators.
17
In Denmark, 29% of enterprises sold online in 2022 per Eurostat e-commerce indicators.
18
In Denmark, 26% of enterprises ordered services online in 2022 per Eurostat e-commerce indicators.
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In Denmark’s restaurant industry, user adoption is still building with only 28% using e-invoicing and 16% using CRM in 2022, while cloud adoption is higher at 36%, suggesting that basic digital tools are spreading faster than more advanced customer and business management systems.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
In Denmark, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive targets recycling rates of 65% by 2025 for packaging overall (EU benchmark relevant for restaurant packaging waste costs).
02
In Denmark, the Food Agency requires a “risk assessment” and documented hygiene instructions for food premises under the Food Hygiene Regulation framework (EC 852/2004 implementation).
03
Denmark has a mandatory food labeling framework under EU rules: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires allergen labeling for packaged foods (relevant to restaurant allergen information practices).
04
The EU’s Single Use Plastics Directive requires restrictions on certain single-use plastic items by 2021; restaurants in Denmark must comply with cutlery and takeaway items rules.
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Denmark’s restaurant cost pressures are increasingly shaped by compliance obligations and material waste targets, with packaging recycling aimed at 65% by 2025 and single use plastic restrictions starting by 2021, both of which can raise operational and sourcing costs alongside required hygiene risk documentation and allergen labeling.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Denmark Restaurant Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/denmark-restaurant-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Engström. "Denmark Restaurant Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/denmark-restaurant-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Denmark Restaurant Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/denmark-restaurant-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
39 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+33 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)