Danish Demographic Database moves to Search the Collections
Danish Demographic Database moves to Search the Collections
The Danish National Archives is phasing out the Danish Demographic Database due to technical issues. The data is not lost but moved to Search the Collections, a more stable and modern platform.
Why is the Danish Demographic Database being phased out?
The Danish Demographic Database (DDD) has for some time been based on outdated technology. Many users now experience response times so long that searches cannot be completed in practice.
Our IT department have assessed the system and concluded that the issues cannot be resolved within the current solution.
For several years, we have been preparing to move the extensive genealogy data to a more up-to-date technical platform. We have therefore chosen to prioritise transferring the data to a stable and future-proof solution rather than continuing to troubleshoot the existing system.
Built by volunteers – powered by dedication
For nearly 40 years, more than 1,600 volunteers have contributed to what is now the Danish Demographic Database.
The work began in 1987 with the Danish Data Entry Project (KIP) at the Danish Data Archive in Odense. Volunteers across the country manually entered data from original sources available via Arkivalieronline and submitted their work on floppy disks.
Today, the database contains more than 1.7 billion data points.
This is the result of an extraordinary voluntary effort. Thousands of hours contributed by volunteers form the foundation of the Danish Demographic Database.
The data is not disappearing – it is being moved
Millions of personal records from censuses, parish registers and other historical sources are being gradually transferred to the Danish National Archives’ data entry platform and made searchable in Search the Collections.
All datasets will be preserved and made available, providing:
- improved performance and more stable operation
- better integration with original archival sources
- a single access point to multiple types of records
We aim to transfer the data as quickly as possible and expect the majority to be available by 1 September 2026.
Improvements and during the transition
As part of the migration, Search the Collections is being updated with new and improved functionality, making it more similar to the familiar experience from ddd.dda.dk.
New features and improvements
During the transition, we are working to:
- correct known data errors
- link transcriptions to digitised image series in Arkivalieronline where possible
- make additional genealogy datasets visible that were not previously searchable
- improve filtering and search options in ‘Search the Collections’ tailored to each type of source
Follow progress and get answers
We will provide regular updates on the migration process, including when new datasets or censuses become available again and when we identify issues or inconsistencies.
We are transferring 1.7 billion records, created by 1,600 volunteers over 40 years. Inevitably, some errors or gaps may occur during the process.
Use Link Lives while data is being transferred
Until all datasets are available in Search the Collections, you can search completed census data in Link Lives. You can also explore Ancestry’s transcriptions of Danish parish registers from 1814–1891.
Please note that the Link Lives platform and user interface are in Danish.
Explore related resources
Link Lives
Search census lists, parish registers life cources in Link Lives.
Search the Collections (in Danish)
Search across the collections at the Danish National Archives.
Search the collections – Get started!
With ‘Search the Collections’, you can search across the Danish National Archives’ collections and systems. Learn how to search and get tips for finding archival records, transcripts, and digitally created data in the National Archives’ collections.