Christian Friis Bach Bio: Age, Politics, Wife, Height, Net Worth, Ethnicity, Parliament, Religion, Books

Christian Friis Bach is a Danish politician and development-policy figure whose public profile rose when he entered national government as Minister for Development Cooperation in 2011.

From there, he became known for combining politics with international roles, including leadership positions linked to the United Nations and the Danish Refugee Council, as well as a long career that also includes research and teaching in international economics and development.

Profile

• Full name: Christian Friis Bach
• Date of birth: 29 April 1966
• Age: 59 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Frederiksberg, Denmark
• Nationality: Danish
• Profession: Politician, author, lecturer, economist, farmer
• Parents: Erik Bach and Ellen Birgitte Bach
• Siblings: N/A
• Spouse: Karin Friis Bach
• Children: N/A (three children; born 1991, 1993, 1999)
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: Christian
• Ethnicity: Danish
• Net worth: $2.5 million

Early Life and Education

Christian Friis Bach is now, at the age of 59, and he was born on 29 April 1966 in Frederiksberg, Denmark to parents Erik Bach and Ellen Birgitte Bach.

He grew up in a family where both his mother and father supported the Liberal Party (Venstre), a lineage that extended back to his great-great-grandfather, who also served as a Member of the Danish Parliament over a century ago.

This exposure to political involvement and rural life, including running a family farm near Copenhagen, instilled in him an early appreciation for the intersection of local community.

He graduated from Kalundborg Upper Secondary School in 1985, took a supplementary degree in journalism in 1991, earned an M.Sc. in agronomy in 1992 at the Royal Danish Agricultural University in Copenhagen, and completed a Ph.D. in international economics in 1996 at the same university.

Personal Life

Christian Friis Bach is married to Karin Friis Bach, and they have three grown-up children. The couple has been married since 1991.

They have three adult children, who were born in 1991, 1993, and 1999, respectively. The family lives together on a part-time farm with cows and horses located near Copenhagen.

Career

Christian Friis Bach’s career has moved between academia, civil society leadership, elected office, and international appointments.

His professional CV includes academic work at the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Danish Agricultural University (later part of the University of Copenhagen), as well as an assignment connected to the World Bank during his Ph.D. period.

He also worked as a journalist at DR and later became International Director at DanChurchAid from 2005 to 2010.

Before entering government, he took roles that blended policy and institutional management, including work as Special Advisor to EU Commissioner Connie Hedegaard in relation to the UN Global Sustainability Panel and leadership in business initiatives such as ViewWorld.

In Danish politics, he became Minister for Development Cooperation in October 2011 in the Helle Thorning-Schmidt government. He resigned from the post in November 2013 in a case involving misinformation of the Folketing.

After leaving Parliament in 2014, he moved into a major UN role. International institutional serving as Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), holding the rank of Under-Secretary-General.

He later returned to Danish civil society leadership as Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council (Dansk Flygtningehjælp). In April 2019, he was dismissed from the role after a relatively short period, with the organization pointing to a desire for a different leadership.

In the 2020s, he re-entered Parliament and remained active in public debate while also promoting warfair and continuing work connected to development, rights, and trade.

Net Worth

Christian Friis Bach’s current net worth is estimated at $2.5 million. This estimate is based on long-term senior income from government and international leadership roles, combined with earnings from consulting/lecturing activity, publishing, and private business.

Social Media

• Instagram: @christianfriisbach
• Twitter/X: @christianfbach
• Facebook: Christian Friis Bach

Books

• Det er MIN stol (2013)
• Then I would like a Dishwasher, please: A human rights-based strategy to development (2020)