An opinion poll by the Sonar research institute among 1,272 voters found 49 per cent in favour with 30 per cent against and the rest undecided.

"This is the first time ever that Sonar has measured a statistically certain `Yes' to the single currency," the newspaper said on Sunday.

It added that the survey, carried out on January 18, implied all those undecided would have to vote "No" for opponents to win.

In Sweden, a Gallup poll published on Monday showed a majority of Swedes now favour joining EMU.

The survey in Dagens Industri newspaper showed that 51 per cent of 1,000 Swedish respondents polled were in favour of joining the single currency, while 31 per cent were opposed and 19 per cent undecided.

In an EMU opinion poll published last week, 45 per cent of Swedish respondents were in favour while 38 per cent were against and 17 percent undecided.

Denmark's fresh Sonar survey was the 10th of 11 polls by various research institutes since October putting supporters ahead of opponents, who until then had been consistently in front ever since Danes in a 1992 referendum rejected the EU's Maastricht treaty.

Since the euro was launched on January 1 by 11 of the EU's 15 member states, Danish government bond prices have risen, and analysts say foreign investors have returned to the market amid expectations that Denmark will eventually decide to join EMU.

Jyllands-Posten quoted economy minister Marianne Jelved, a staunch euro supporter, as saying that a referendum on Danish membership of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) might be held before 2001.

On Saturday, the daily Berlingske Tidende published an opinion poll by the Gallup institute which gave EMU supporters 50 per cent against 38 per cent for the "No" camp.

The Gallup survey also showed that 34 per cent of Danes wanted to vote on EMU this year while 23 per cent favouredholding a referendum in 2000.