Danish people in Greenland
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (Approx. 6,348) | |
| Languages | |
| Greenlandic, Danish | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Lutheran See Religion in Greenland |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Danes, Greenlanders, Greenlandic Dane, Greenlandic Americans, Danish Americans, Danish Canadians, Danish Australian, Scandinavian Americans, European Americans |
Danish Greenlanders are Danish immigrants in Greenland.
Danish Greenlanders are a minority ethnic group in Greenland, accounting for around 11% of the territory's population.Greenlandic Inuit (including mixed-race persons) make up approximately 85%–90% of the total (2009 estimate).
Attracted by good employment opportunities with high wages, many Danes have settled in the town of Nuuk. Nuuk has the highest proportion of Danes of any town in Greenland.
Both Danish and Greenlandic have been used in public affairs in Greenland since the establishment of home rule in 1979; the majority of the population can speak both languages. Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) became the sole official language in June 2009. Danish is still widely used in the administration and in higher education, as well as remaining the first or only language for some Danish immigrants in Nuuk and other larger towns. A debate about the role of Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) and Danish in future society is ongoing.
About 12% of the population of Greenland speaks Danish as a first or sole language, particularly Danish immigrants in Greenland, many of whom fill positions such as administrators, professionals, academics, or skilled tradesmen. While Greenlandic is dominant in all smaller settlements, a part of the population of Inuit or mixed ancestry, especially in towns, speaks Danish. Most of the Inuit population speaks Danish as a second language. In larger towns, especially Nuuk and in the higher social strata, this is still a large group.
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