Municipalities rake in record parking sums

With Copenhagen leading the way, almost a billion kroner in parking-related funds found its way into municipal coffers last year

According to a new report from the Federation of Danish Motorists (FDM), the municipalities in Denmark raked in a record amount of funds from parking in 2021.

FDM’s figures showed that almost a billion kroner (994,788.475) was amassed by the municipalities through paid parking, resident licences and parking fines.

“We are back to normal conditions and the curve is only continuing upwards, as it has done since we began gathering figures from the municipalities,” said FDM’s head consultant, Dennis Lange.

The figure is about 100 million kroner higher than in 2020 and 26 percent higher than in 2014.

As expected, Copenhagen led the way, accounting for over 629 million kroner of the total parking income. 

Aarhus was second with almost 100 million kroner, followed by Frederiksberg (about 80 million), Aalborg (almost 40 million) and Odense (about 32 million).

READ ALSO: Petrol and diesel drivers lose 5,000 parking spaces in Copenhagen

Expansion of paid parking zones
According to FDM, 26 of the country’s 98 municipalities have paid parking solutions, while 56 have parking control measures in place. 

Almost three quarters of municipal parking-related income comes from car owners who pay to park.

“It’s a considerable change because funds from paid parking usually account for two-thirds of the overall income,” said Lange.

“It’s down to the expansion of paid parking zones, which we have seen in the municipalities of Aarhus and Esbjerg.”

Aside from the two municipalities mentioned above, a spike in paid parking income has also been seen in Odense, Ringsted, Roskilde and Frederiksberg. 

Meanwhile, considerable decreases have been observed in Køge and Kolding.