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Rifbjerg was born in Copenhagen and grew up on the island of Amager, a part of the city, the child of two teachers. Later he studied English and literature, in Copenhagen and for a year in the United States at Princeton University.

His breakthrough was in 1958 with the novel Den kroniske Uskyld. It was made into a film in 1985, directed by Edward Fleming. Since then he has published more than 100 novels as well as poetry and short story collections, plays, TV and radio plays, film scripts, children's books, and diaries.

Rifbjerg is also known as a journalist and critic. Along with Villy Sørensen, he was editor of the publication Vindrosen, and from 1984 to 1991 he was the literary director of Gyldendal.

Among other honors, he was awarded the Nordic Prize of the Swedish Academy (1999), The Nordic Council's Literature Prize, and the grand prize of the Danish Academy.

He has been seen as the first true modernist author in Danish, being increasingly more experimental though the 1960'ies, culminating with "Anna (jeg) Anna". Much of the works from 1970 and some twentyfive years on is loser in scope and composition, often humorous or sarcastic, often leaving the protagonist chaotically alone with his og her existential and psychological hangups, suptly exemplifying modernism as the breakdown of the normality of the bourguoisy. A principal theme is the portrayal of children and their difficulties establishing their own identity. The works in the 2000's opens a new line of inspiration: Historic events.