Languages spoken in Greenland (Danish)
Nuuk
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The main languages spoken in Greenland are:
Greenlandic (Kalaallisut/West Greenlandic) - the official language, an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken by the majority of the population.
Danish - the secondary official language, reflecting Greenland''s political ties to Denmark.
Tunumiisut (East Greenlandic) and Inuktun (Polar Inuit Greenlandic) are considered dialects of Kalaallisut, spoken by about 10% of Greenlanders.
Greenlandic is the official language of Greenland, with Danish as a secondary official language.
| Geography |
Location: Northern North America, between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada
Map references: North America
Area:
total: approximately 2.166 million sq km; the world''s largest island
Terrain: flat to gradually sloping icecap covers 80% of the island; barren, rocky coast
Geography - note: most of the population is settled along the ice-free southwest coast; the interior is uninhabited
| People |
Population: 55,650-56,836 (2024-2026 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.4%
15-64 years: 67.1%
65 years and over: 12.5% (2024 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.5 years
male: 71.8 years
female: 77.3 years (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Nationality:
noun/adjective: Greenlander(s)
Ethnic groups: Indigenous Greenlandic Inuit ~88%, Danish ~7.1%, other ~5%
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran; traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs also observed
Languages: Kalaallisut/West Greenlandic (official), Danish (secondary official); Tunumiisut and Inuktun dialects spoken by about 10% of the population
Population distribution: settlement concentrated on the southwest shoreline, with limited settlements scattered along the remaining coast
| Government |
Country name:
local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat; named by Norse navigator Erik Thorvaldsson ("Erik the Red")
Data code: GL
Government type: parliamentary democracy; a self-governing constituent territory within the Kingdom of Denmark
National capital: Nuuk
Executive branch:
chief of state: King Frederik X of Denmark, represented by a High Commissioner
head of government: Premier Jens-Frederik NIELSEN (since 2025)
Background: established as a constituency in the Danish constitution in 1953; granted home rule in 1979; gained further self-government under the 2009 Greenland Self-Government Act, with Denmark continuing to manage foreign affairs and defense
| Economy |
Economy - overview: high-income, self-governing Danish territorial economy; not an EU member but has preferential market access; dependent on Danish financial support; exports led by the fishing industry; growing tourism and increasing global interest in Greenland''s untapped mineral deposits
GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.48 billion (2023 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.9% (2023)
GDP - per capita: $78,840 PPP (2023 est.)
Inflation rate: 2.2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.9% (2023 est.)
Currency: Danish krone (DKK)