| Demographics ofGreenland | |
|---|---|
Population pyramid of Greenland in 2020 | |
| Population | 57,792 (2022 est.) |
| Growth rate | -0.02% (2022 est.) |
| Birth rate | 13.79 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Death rate | 8.96 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 73.98 years |
| • male | 71.28 years |
| • female | 76.82 years |
| Fertility rate | 1.91 children born/woman (2022 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | 8.75 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Net migration rate | -5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 20.82% |
| 65 and over | 10.36% |
| Sex ratio | |
| Total | 1.08 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| At birth | 1.05 male(s)/female |
| Under 15 | 1.03 male(s)/female |
| 65 and over | 0.84 male(s)/female |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | Greenlander |
| Language | |
| Official | Greenlandic |
| Spoken | Greenlandic, Danish, English |
This is ademography of thepopulation ofGreenland includingpopulation density,ethnicity, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The demographics of Greenland is highly impacted by the rapid transformation from a hunter-gatherer to a post-industrial society in the 20th century. This transformation resulted in Greenland undergoing ademographic transition, with a significant population increase as a result.[1]
This rocketing of the population causedDanish authorities to implement a highly controversialIUD program, known as theSpiral case in the 1960s and 70s.[2]
As of 1 January 2024[update] the resident population of Greenland was estimated to be 56,699, an increase of 90 (0.2%) from the previous year.[3]
| Municipality | Population | % of total | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq | 24,382 | 43.00% | |
| Avannaata Kommunia | 10,846 | 19.13% | |
| Qeqqata Kommunia | 9,204 | 16.23% | |
| Kommune Kujalleq | 6,145 | 10.84% | |
| Kommune Qeqertalik | 6,058 | 10.68% |
Values do not sum to 100% because there were 64 inhabitants living outside the five municipalities; this includes residents in theunincorporatedNortheast Greenland National Park.Nuuk is the most populous locality in Greenland with 19,872 inhabitants, which is about 35% of Greenland's total population.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 29 867 | 26 616 | 56 483 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 2 142 | 1 930 | 4 072 | 7.21 |
| 5–9 | 2 004 | 1 942 | 3 946 | 6.99 |
| 10–14 | 2 088 | 2 022 | 4 110 | 7.28 |
| 15–19 | 2 130 | 2 111 | 4 241 | 7.51 |
| 20–24 | 2 350 | 2 283 | 4 633 | 8.20 |
| 25–29 | 2 159 | 2 081 | 4 240 | 7.51 |
| 30–34 | 1 954 | 1 864 | 3 818 | 6.76 |
| 35–39 | 1 730 | 1 440 | 3 170 | 5.61 |
| 40–44 | 2 008 | 1 690 | 3 698 | 6.55 |
| 45–49 | 2 980 | 2 537 | 5 517 | 9.77 |
| 50–54 | 2 599 | 2 123 | 4 722 | 8.36 |
| 55–59 | 2 092 | 1 546 | 3 638 | 6.44 |
| 60–64 | 1 425 | 1 036 | 2 461 | 4.36 |
| 65–69 | 1 071 | 731 | 1 802 | 3.19 |
| 70–74 | 629 | 594 | 1 223 | 2.17 |
| 75–79 | 319 | 365 | 684 | 1.21 |
| 80–84 | 143 | 229 | 372 | 0.66 |
| 85–89 | 39 | 80 | 119 | 0.21 |
| 90–94 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 0.02 |
| 95–99 | 1 | 2 | 3 | <0.01 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 6 234 | 5 894 | 12 128 | 21.47 |
| 15–64 | 21 427 | 18 711 | 40 138 | 71.06 |
| 65+ | 2 206 | 2 011 | 4 217 | 7.47 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 29 855 | 26 798 | 56 653 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 2 058 | 1 987 | 4 045 | 7.14 |
| 5–9 | 1 994 | 1 855 | 3 849 | 6.79 |
| 10–14 | 1 991 | 1 840 | 3 831 | 6.76 |
| 15–19 | 1 851 | 1 760 | 3 611 | 6.37 |
| 20–24 | 1 972 | 1 943 | 3 915 | 6.91 |
| 25–29 | 2 363 | 2 268 | 4 631 | 8.17 |
| 30–34 | 2 398 | 2 338 | 4 736 | 8.36 |
| 35–39 | 2 096 | 1 902 | 3 998 | 7.06 |
| 40–44 | 1 793 | 1 517 | 3 310 | 5.84 |
| 45–49 | 1 630 | 1 289 | 2 919 | 5.15 |
| 50–54 | 2 215 | 1 922 | 4 137 | 7.30 |
| 55–59 | 2 577 | 2 174 | 4 751 | 8.39 |
| 60–64 | 2 108 | 1 615 | 3 723 | 6.57 |
| 65–69 | 1 285 | 992 | 2 277 | 4.02 |
| 70–74 | 776 | 618 | 1 394 | 2.46 |
| 75–79 | 485 | 433 | 918 | 1.62 |
| 80–84 | 194 | 219 | 413 | 0.73 |
| 85–89 | 52 | 92 | 144 | 0.25 |
| 90–94 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 0.07 |
| 95+ | 4 | 5 | 9 | 0.02 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 6 043 | 5 682 | 11 725 | 20.70 |
| 15–64 | 20 886 | 18 728 | 39 614 | 69.92 |
| 65+ | 2 926 | 2 388 | 5 314 | 9.38 |
| Year | Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Total fertility rate | Infant mortality rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 12,000 | 416 | 306 | 110 | 35.6 | 26.2 | 9.4 | ||
| 1901 | 12,000 | 461 | 301 | 160 | 38.7 | 25.3 | 13.4 | ||
| 1902 | 12,000 | 426 | 259 | 167 | 35.5 | 21.6 | 13.9 | ||
| 1903 | 12,000 | 428 | 327 | 101 | 35.1 | 26.8 | 8.3 | ||
| 1904 | 12,000 | 535 | 283 | 252 | 43.5 | 23.0 | 20.5 | ||
| 1905 | 13,000 | 487 | 292 | 195 | 39.0 | 23.4 | 15.6 | ||
| 1906 | 13,000 | 493 | 366 | 127 | 39.1 | 29.0 | 10.1 | ||
| 1907 | 13,000 | 476 | 362 | 114 | 37.2 | 28.3 | 8.9 | ||
| 1908 | 13,000 | 543 | 378 | 165 | 42.1 | 29.3 | 12.8 | ||
| 1909 | 13,000 | 564 | 448 | 116 | 43.1 | 34.2 | 8.9 | ||
| 1910 | 13,000 | 443 | 354 | 89 | 33.6 | 26.8 | 6.7 | ||
| 1911 | 13,000 | 577 | 562 | 15 | 43.1 | 41.9 | 1.1 | ||
| 1912 | 14,000 | 482 | 389 | 93 | 35.7 | 28.8 | 6.9 | ||
| 1913 | 14,000 | 592 | 390 | 202 | 43.5 | 28.7 | 14.9 | ||
| 1919 | 14,000 | 531 | 458 | 73 | 38.8 | 33.4 | 5.3 | ||
| 1915 | 14,000 | 545 | 428 | 117 | 39.8 | 31.2 | 8.5 | ||
| 1916 | 14,000 | 545 | 447 | 98 | 39.5 | 32.4 | 7.1 | ||
| 1917 | 14,000 | 547 | 312 | 235 | 39.4 | 22.4 | 16.9 | ||
| 1918 | 14,000 | 550 | 328 | 222 | 39.3 | 23.4 | 15.9 | ||
| 1919 | 14,000 | 510 | 614 | −104 | 36.2 | 43.5 | −7.4 | ||
| 1920 | 14,000 | 569 | 429 | 140 | 40.1 | 30.2 | 9.9 | ||
| 1921 | 14,000 | 610 | 565 | 45 | 42.7 | 39.5 | 3.1 | ||
| 1922 | 15,000 | 545 | 396 | 149 | 37.3 | 27.1 | 10.2 | ||
| 1923 | 15,000 | 563 | 326 | 237 | 38.0 | 22.0 | 16.0 | ||
| 1924 | 15,000 | 580 | 426 | 154 | 38.4 | 28.2 | 10.2 | ||
| 1925 | 15,000 | 660 | 582 | 78 | 42.9 | 37.8 | 5.1 | ||
| 1926 | 16,000 | 619 | 340 | 279 | 39.7 | 21.8 | 17.9 | ||
| 1927 | 16,000 | 615 | 322 | 293 | 38.7 | 20.3 | 18.4 | ||
| 1928 | 16,000 | 680 | 366 | 314 | 42.0 | 22.6 | 19.4 | ||
| 1929 | 17,000 | 743 | 353 | 390 | 45.0 | 21.4 | 23.6 | ||
| 1930 | 17,000 | 768 | 383 | 385 | 45.7 | 22.8 | 22.9 | ||
| 1931 | 17,000 | 779 | 431 | 348 | 46.1 | 25.5 | 20.6 | ||
| 1932 | 17,000 | 728 | 625 | 103 | 43.3 | 37.1 | 6.2 | ||
| 1933 | 17,000 | 776 | 370 | 406 | 45.6 | 21.8 | 23.8 | ||
| 1934 | 17,000 | 807 | 503 | 304 | 46.4 | 28.9 | 17.5 | ||
| 1935 | 18,000 | 813 | 835 | −22 | 46.5 | 47.7 | −1.3 | ||
| 1936 | 18,000 | 740 | 811 | −71 | 42.0 | 46.1 | −4.0 | ||
| 1937 | 18,000 | 767 | 474 | 293 | 43.1 | 26.6 | 16.5 | ||
| 1938 | 18,000 | 731 | 375 | 356 | 40.4 | 20.7 | 19.7 | ||
| 1939 | 18,000 | 762 | 680 | 82 | 41.6 | 37.2 | 4.5 | ||
| 1940 | 19,000 | 873 | 356 | 517 | 46.9 | 19.1 | 27.8 | ||
| 1941 | 19,000 | 815 | 364 | 451 | 42.7 | 19.1 | 23.6 | ||
| 1942 | 20,000 | 904 | 448 | 456 | 46.1 | 22.9 | 23.3 | ||
| 1943 | 20,000 | 796 | 429 | 367 | 39.8 | 21.5 | 18.4 | ||
| 1944 | 20,000 | 911 | 491 | 420 | 44.7 | 24.1 | 20.6 | ||
| 1945 | 21,000 | 818 | 408 | 410 | 39.5 | 19.7 | 19.8 | ||
| 1946 | 21,000 | 920 | 416 | 504 | 43.6 | 19.7 | 23.9 | ||
| 1947 | 22,000 | 953 | 490 | 463 | 44.1 | 22.7 | 21.4 | ||
| 1948 | 22,000 | 883 | 499 | 384 | 40.5 | 22.9 | 17.6 | 5.695 | |
| 1949 | 22,000 | 989 | 898 | 91 | 44.7 | 40.6 | 4.1 | 6.045 | |
| 1950 | 23,000 | 1,129 | 539 | 590 | 50.0 | 23.8 | 26.1 | 6.930 | |
| 1951 | 23,000 | 999 | 550 | 449 | 42.9 | 23.6 | 19.3 | 5.770 | |
| 1952 | 24,000 | 1,034 | 475 | 559 | 43.1 | 19.8 | 23.3 | 5.960 | |
| 1953 | 25,000 | 1,109 | 398 | 711 | 44.9 | 16.1 | 28.8 | 6.150 | |
| 1954 | 26,000 | 1,136 | 388 | 748 | 44.4 | 15.2 | 29.2 | 6.310 | |
| 1955 | 27,000 | 1,234 | 375 | 859 | 46.4 | 14.1 | 32.3 | 6.605 | |
| 1956 | 27,000 | 1,293 | 351 | 942 | 47.2 | 12.8 | 34.4 | 6.670 | |
| 1957 | 29,000 | 1,361 | 337 | 1,024 | 47.6 | 11.8 | 35.8 | 6.925 | |
| 1958 | 30,000 | 1,410 | 290 | 1,120 | 47.2 | 9.7 | 37.5 | 6.815 | |
| 1959 | 31,000 | 1,491 | 285 | 1,206 | 47.6 | 9.1 | 38.5 | 7.145 | |
| 1960 | 33,000 | 1,586 | 256 | 1,330 | 48.6 | 7.8 | 40.7 | 7.245 | |
| 1961 | 34,000 | 1,644 | 292 | 1,352 | 48.8 | 8.7 | 40.1 | 7.310 | |
| 1962 | 35,000 | 1,610 | 361 | 1,249 | 46.1 | 10.3 | 35.8 | 7.085 | |
| 1963 | 36,000 | 1,671 | 279 | 1,392 | 46.2 | 7.7 | 38.5 | 7.035 | |
| 1964 | 38,000 | 1,797 | 329 | 1,468 | 47.4 | 8.7 | 38.7 | 7.270 | |
| 1965 | 39,000 | 1,738 | 337 | 1,401 | 44.3 | 8.6 | 35.7 | 6.960 | |
| 1966 | 41,000 | 1,781 | 329 | 1,452 | 43.5 | 8.0 | 35.5 | 6.995 | |
| 1967 | 43,000 | 1,685 | 314 | 1,371 | 39.3 | 7.3 | 32.0 | 6.395 | |
| 1968 | 45,000 | 1,576 | 333 | 1,243 | 35.3 | 7.4 | 27.8 | 5.845 | |
| 1969 | 46,000 | 1,310 | 311 | 999 | 28.5 | 6.8 | 21.7 | 4.580 | |
| 1970 | 46,000 | 1,144 | 283 | 861 | 24.7 | 6.1 | 18.6 | 3.900 | |
| 1971 | 47,000 | 1,028 | 289 | 739 | 21.8 | 6.1 | 15.7 | 3.245 | |
| 1972 | 48,000 | 948 | 295 | 653 | 19.6 | 6.1 | 13.5 | 2.770 | |
| 1973 | 49,000 | 940 | 339 | 601 | 19.2 | 6.9 | 12.3 | 2.690 | 36.2 |
| 1974 | 50,000 | 866 | 332 | 534 | 17.5 | 6.7 | 10.8 | 2.300 | 28.9 |
| 1975 | 50,000 | 815 | 313 | 502 | 17.5 | 6.3 | 11.2 | 2.345 | 36.8 |
| 1976 | 50,000 | 859 | 348 | 511 | 17.3 | 7.0 | 10.3 | 2.255 | 32.6 |
| 1977 | 49,000 | 918 | 373 | 545 | 18.6 | 7.2 | 11.4 | 2.349 | 42.5 |
| 1978 | 49,000 | 870 | 309 | 561 | 17.7 | 6.4 | 11.3 | 2.197 | 26.4 |
| 1979 | 50,000 | 900 | 393 | 507 | 18.2 | 8.1 | 10.0 | 2.187 | 37.8 |
| 1980 | 50,000 | 1,034 | 380 | 654 | 20.5 | 7.6 | 12.8 | 2.435 | 31.9 |
| 1981 | 51,000 | 1,056 | 381 | 675 | 20.6 | 7.5 | 13.1 | 2.332 | 31.3 |
| 1982 | 52,000 | 1,052 | 408 | 644 | 20.6 | 8.2 | 12.4 | 2.236 | 37.1 |
| 1983 | 52,000 | 994 | 433 | 561 | 18.9 | 8.3 | 10.6 | 2.054 | 37.2 |
| 1984 | 53,000 | 1,054 | 439 | 615 | 20.0 | 8.3 | 11.7 | 2.107 | 28.5 |
| 1985 | 53,000 | 1,152 | 435 | 717 | 21.4 | 8.2 | 13.2 | 2.241 | 24.3 |
| 1986 | 54,000 | 1,055 | 445 | 610 | 19.7 | 8.3 | 11.4 | 2.044 | 22.7 |
| 1987 | 54,000 | 1,104 | 445 | 659 | 20.4 | 8.2 | 12.2 | 2.083 | 26.3 |
| 1988 | 55,000 | 1,213 | 432 | 781 | 22.1 | 7.9 | 14.3 | 2.317 | 16.5 |
| 1989 | 55,000 | 1,210 | 455 | 755 | 21.9 | 8.2 | 13.7 | 2.299 | 21.5 |
| 1990 | 56,000 | 1,258 | 467 | 791 | 22.6 | 8.4 | 14.2 | 2.444 | 32.6 |
| 1991 | 56,000 | 1,192 | 458 | 734 | 21.5 | 8.3 | 13.2 | 2.421 | 34.4 |
| 1992 | 55,000 | 1,237 | 441 | 796 | 22.4 | 8.0 | 14.4 | 2.607 | 12.9 |
| 1993 | 55,000 | 1,180 | 432 | 748 | 21.3 | 7.8 | 13.5 | 2.578 | 26.3 |
| 1994 | 56,000 | 1,139 | 445 | 694 | 20.5 | 8.0 | 12.5 | 2.524 | 22.8 |
| 1995 | 56,000 | 1,101 | 480 | 621 | 19.7 | 8.6 | 11.1 | 2.545 | 20.9 |
| 1996 | 56,000 | 1,051 | 444 | 607 | 18.8 | 8.0 | 10.9 | 2.521 | 22.8 |
| 1997 | 56,000 | 1,095 | 492 | 603 | 19.6 | 8.8 | 10.8 | 2.780 | 18.3 |
| 1998 | 56,000 | 980 | 457 | 523 | 17.5 | 8.1 | 9.3 | 2.491 | 20.4 |
| 1999 | 56,000 | 945 | 479 | 466 | 16.8 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 2.475 | 16.9 |
| 2000 | 56,000 | 879 | 450 | 429 | 15.7 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 2.406 | 18.2 |
| 2001 | 56,000 | 942 | 466 | 476 | 16.8 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 2.506 | 10.6 |
| 2002 | 57,000 | 954 | 446 | 508 | 16.9 | 7.8 | 9.1 | 2.613 | 13.6 |
| 2003 | 57,000 | 879 | 411 | 468 | 15.4 | 7.2 | 8.2 | 2.328 | 8.0 |
| 2004 | 57,000 | 892 | 479 | 413 | 15.6 | 8.4 | 7.2 | 2.442 | 13.5 |
| 2005 | 57,000 | 886 | 465 | 421 | 15.5 | 8.1 | 7.4 | 2.326 | 7.9 |
| 2006 | 57,000 | 842 | 440 | 402 | 14.8 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 2.280 | 16.6 |
| 2007 | 57,000 | 853 | 452 | 401 | 15.1 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 2.223 | 10.6 |
| 2008 | 56,000 | 834 | 428 | 406 | 14.9 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 2.249 | 9.6 |
| 2009 | 56,000 | 895 | 437 | 458 | 16.0 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 2.344 | 4.5 |
| 2010 | 56,000 | 869 | 504 | 365 | 15.5 | 9.0 | 6.5 | 2.184 | 8.1 |
| 2011 | 57,000 | 821 | 476 | 345 | 14.4 | 8.3 | 6.1 | 2.097 | 11.0 |
| 2012 | 57,000 | 786 | 459 | 327 | 13.8 | 8.0 | 5.8 | 2.006 | 8.9 |
| 2013 | 56,000 | 820 | 444 | 376 | 14.6 | 7.9 | 6.7 | 2.069 | 8.5 |
| 2014 | 56,000 | 805 | 461 | 344 | 14.4 | 8.2 | 6.2 | 1.987 | 7.5 |
| 2015 | 56,000 | 854 | 472 | 382 | 15.2 | 8.4 | 6.8 | 2.116 | 10.5 |
| 2016 | 56,000 | 830 | 487 | 343 | 14.8 | 8.7 | 6.1 | 2.066 | 7.2 |
| 2017 | 56,000 | 853 | 499 | 354 | 15.2 | 8.9 | 6.3 | 2.125 | 7.0 |
| 2018 | 56,000 | 819 | 487 | 332 | 14.6 | 8.7 | 5.9 | 2.024 | 7.3 |
| 2019 | 56,000 | 849 | 548 | 301 | 15.2 | 9.8 | 5.4 | 2.115 | 11.8 |
| 2020 | 56,000 | 835 | 520 | 315 | 14.9 | 9.3 | 5.6 | 2.109 | 8.4 |
| 2021 | 56,000 | 761 | 531 | 230 | 13.4 | 9.3 | 4.1 | 1.820 | 14.5 |
| 2022 | 57,000 | 748 | 525 | 223 | 13.2 | 9.3 | 3.9 | 1.818 | 12.0 |
| 2023 | 57,000 | 716 | 534 | 182 | 12.7 | 9.4 | 3.3 | 1.769 | 12.6 |
| 2024 | 57,000 | 684 | 527 | 157 | 12.0 | 9.3 | 2.8 | 1.706 | 11.7 |
| 2025 | 57,000 | 684 | 550 | 134 | 12.0 | 9.7 | 2.4 |
total population:71.25 years
male:68.6 years
female:74.04 years (2012 est.)
| Ethnic groups | percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inuit | 89.7% | |||
| Danish | 7.8% | |||
| Other Nordic | 1.1% | |||
| Other | 1.4% | |||
| Nationality | Population (2024) |
|---|---|
| 921 | |
| 349 | |
| 138 | |
| 122 | |
| 121 | |
| 78 | |
| 65 | |
| 63 | |
| 54 | |
| 39 | |
| Other America | 39 |
The population ofGreenland consists ofGreenlandic Inuit (includingmixed-race people),Danish Greenlanders and otherEuropeans andNorth Americans. The Inuit population makes up approximately 85–90% of the total (2009 est.). 6,792 people from Denmark live in Greenland, which is 12% of its total population.
The average Greenlander has 75% Inuit ancestry and 25% European ancestry, tracing about half of their paternal DNA to Danish male ancestors.[10][11][12]
In recent years, Greenland experienced a significant increase in immigration from Asia, especially from thePhilippines,Thailand, andChina.
The only official language ofGreenland isGreenlandic.[13] The number of speakers ofGreenlandic is estimated at 50,000 (85–90% of the total population), divided in three main dialects,Kalaallisut (West-Greenlandic, 44,000 speakers and the dialect that is used as official language),Tunumiit (East-Greenlandic, 3,000 speakers) andInuktun (North-Greenlandic, 800 speakers). The remainder of the population mainly speaksDanish;Inuit Sign Language is the language of the deaf community.

The nomadicInuit were traditionallyshamanistic, with a well-developedmythology primarily concerned with propitiating a vengeful andfingerless sea Goddess who controlled the success of theseal andwhale hunts.
The firstNorse colonists werepagan, butErik the Red's sonLeif was converted to Catholic Christianity byKingOlaf Trygvesson on a trip toNorway in 990 and sent missionaries back to Greenland. These swiftly established sixteen parishes, some monasteries, and a bishopric atGarðar.
Rediscovering these colonists and spreading theProtestant Reformation among them was one of the primary reasons for theDanish recolonization in the 18th century. Under the patronage of theRoyal Mission College inCopenhagen, Norwegian and DanishLutherans and GermanMoravian missionaries searched for the missing Norse settlements and began converting the Inuit. The principal figures in theChristianization of Greenland wereHans andPoul Egede andMatthias Stach. TheNew Testament was translated piecemeal from the time of the very first settlement onKangeq Island, but the first translation of the wholeBible was not completed until 1900. An improved translation using themodern orthography was completed in 2000.[16]
Today, the major religion isProtestant Christianity, mostly members of theLutheranChurch of Denmark. While there is no official census data on religion in Greenland, the LutheranBishop of GreenlandSofie Petersen[17] estimated that 85% of the Greenlandic population were members of its congregation in 2009.[18] Estimates in 2022 put the figure at 93%.[19]
In the 1960s and 70s, Greenland was subject to an IUD program. At least 4,500 Inuit women were implanted withIUD's - about half the fertile population of women at the time. It is unclear how many cases lacked consent or proper explanation. The program was publicly known, with Danish doctors writing of it in journals, . The involuntary program regained public awareness in 2022 with an investigation known as thespiral case.[20]