Denmark's incumbent Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen looked set to cling to power after the country's left-wing bloc won a one-seat majority in Tuesday's general election, final results showed. 

The very last votes counted in the knife-edge election gave Frederiksen's side 87 seats in mainland Denmark, with another three coming from the autonomous overseas territories, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, giving the bloc a majority of 90 seats in the 179-seat parliament. 

"I am so thrilled and proud. We have gotten the best election result in 20 years," Frederiksen told supporters early Wednesday in Copenhagen after the Social Democrats again became the biggest in parliament with 27.5 percent of votes.

But Frederiksen, who heads a Social Democratic minority government, said she would resign as prime minister and try to form a new government with broader support across the political divide.

"It is also clear there is no longer a majority behind the government in its current form. Therefore, tomorrow I will submit the government's resignation to the queen," said Frederiksen, adding that she would meet with other parties about forming a new government.

She could begin negotiations with former Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his new non-aligned party, the Moderates, which have also campaigned for a coalition of mainstream parties.

The left-leaning parties that Frederiksen can rely on to form a new government include the Socialist People's Party, the Red-Green Alliance and the Social-Liberal Party, the latter of which used to be headed by European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.

(With input from agencies)