Tutorial: DST (Statistics Denmark)

Economics

Data source: Statistics Denmark (Danmarks Statistik)

Overview

DST (Statistics Denmark) wraps Statistics Denmark (Danmarks Statistik), handling authentication, pagination, and rate limits for you. This tutorial covers all 6 tools with working code examples you can copy and run.

Prerequisites

Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup for a free API key (100 calls/day).
Choose your integration method: MCP protocol or REST API.

Connect via MCP

Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):

MCP Config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gnist-dst": {
      "url": "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/",
      "headers": {
        "Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools (6)

`list_subjects`

List Statistics Denmark's top-level subject categories. Returns the main statistical subject areas (e.g. People, Labour and income, Economy, Social conditions, Education, Business, Transport, Environment). Use the returned IDs with browse_subject or list_tables to explore further. Args: lang: Language — 'en' for English, 'da' for Danish (default 'en'). Returns: List of subject categories with id, text, and has_subjects flag.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`lang`	string	optional	Language — 'en' for English, 'da' for Danish (default 'en'). (default: `en`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_subjects", "arguments": {"lang": "en"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'lang': 'en'}, 'name': 'list_subjects'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`browse_subject`

Browse a subject area to find sub-subjects and tables. Navigate the Statistics Denmark hierarchy by providing a subject ID from list_subjects or a previous browse_subject call. Returns both child subjects and tables available in this area. Args: subject_id: Subject ID (e.g. '1' for People, '2' for Labour). lang: Language — 'en' or 'da'. Returns: Sub-subjects and tables within this subject area.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`subject_id`	string	required	Subject ID (e.g. '1' for People, '2' for Labour).
`lang`	string	optional	Language — 'en' or 'da'. (default: `en`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "browse_subject", "arguments": {"subject_id": "'1'"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'subject_id': "'1'"}, 'name': 'browse_subject'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_tables`

List available statistical tables, optionally filtered by subject. Statistics Denmark has 2000+ tables. Filter by subject_id to get a manageable list. Each table shows its ID, description, time range, and variables. Args: subject_id: Subject ID to filter by (e.g. '1'). Omit for all tables. lang: Language — 'en' or 'da'. Returns: List of tables with table_id, text, time range, and variable names.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`subject_id`	any	optional	Subject ID to filter by (e.g. '1'). Omit for all tables.
`lang`	string	optional	Language — 'en' or 'da'. (default: `en`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_tables", "arguments": {"subject_id": "'1'"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'subject_id': "'1'"}, 'name': 'list_tables'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`get_table_metadata`

Get the structure of a Statistics Denmark table — its dimensions, variables, and valid values. Use this before querying data to understand what filters are available. Each variable lists its valid codes and labels. Variables marked 'elimination: true' can be omitted from queries to get aggregated totals. Time variables are flagged with 'time: true'. Time codes follow patterns: '2024' (annual), '2024K1' (quarterly), '2024M01' (monthly). Args: table_id: DST table ID (e.g. 'FOLK1A' for population, 'AKU100' for labour force). lang: Language — 'en' or 'da'. Returns: Table title, description, and list of variables with codes, labels, and valid values.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`table_id`	string	required	DST table ID (e.g. 'FOLK1A' for population, 'AKU100' for labour force).
`lang`	string	optional	Language — 'en' or 'da'. (default: `en`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_table_metadata", "arguments": {"table_id": "'FOLK1A'"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'table_id': "'FOLK1A'"},
            'name': 'get_table_metadata'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`get_data`

Query data from a Statistics Denmark statistical table. Without filters, returns the latest top_n time periods with default selections for other dimensions. With filters, you select specific variable values. Each filter dict needs: 'code' (variable ID from metadata) and 'values' list. Example — Denmark total population, last 3 quarters (table FOLK1A): filters=[ {"code": "KØN", "values": ["TOT"]}, {"code": "ALDER", "values": ["IALT"]}, {"code": "CIVILSTAND", "values": ["TOT"]}, {"code": "Tid", "values": ["2025K1", "2024K4", "2024K3"]} ] Args: table_id: DST table ID. filters: List of variable filters. See get_table_metadata for valid codes. top_n: If no filters given, fetch this many latest time periods (default 5). lang: Language — 'en' or 'da'. Returns: Parsed data with metadata (label, source, updated) and a list of records. Each record has labeled dimension values and a 'value' field.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`table_id`	string	required	DST table ID.
`filters`	any	optional	List of variable filters. See get_table_metadata for valid codes.
`top_n`	integer	optional	If no filters given, fetch this many latest time periods (default 5). (default: `5`)
`lang`	string	optional	Language — 'en' or 'da'. (default: `en`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_data", "arguments": {"table_id": "12345"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'table_id': '12345'}, 'name': 'get_data'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`report_feedback`

Report a bug, feature request, or general feedback for this data source. Use this when something doesn't work as expected, when you'd like a new feature, or when you have suggestions for improvement. Args: feedback: Describe the issue or suggestion. feedback_type: One of 'bug', 'feature_request', or 'general'.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`feedback`	string	required
`feedback_type`	string	optional	(default: `general`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "report_feedback", "arguments": {"feedback": "example"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/dst/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'feedback': 'example'}, 'name': 'report_feedback'}},
)
print(resp.json())

Common Patterns

Search then retrieve
Use list_subjects to find items, then get_table_metadata to get full details. This two-step pattern is common for exploring data before drilling down.

FAQ

What data does DST (Statistics Denmark) provide?

Danish official statistics — population, employment, income, housing, trade, and economic data. It exposes 6 tools: list_subjects, browse_subject, list_tables, get_table_metadata, get_data, report_feedback.

What do I need to get started?

A Gnist API key (free tier: 100 calls/day). Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup.

What format does the DST (Statistics Denmark) API return?

JSON, via either MCP protocol (JSON-RPC 2.0) or REST API.