Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Iceland is a sparsely populated island located in the Atlantic Ocean. With approximately 388,000 inhabitants, it is one of the least populated countries in Europe. A high number of the country's population lives in or around the capital Reykjavik. In fact, nearly one in four of the inhabitants live in areas classified as cities, towns, or suburbs. Even though Iceland's population remains relatively small in a European context, it has increased steadily since 2009, when Iceland had a negative population growth due to increased emigration caused by the financial crisis.
Migration
Increased immigration in recent years has been the main factor driving the population increase in Iceland. The number reached a new high in 2022 because of refugees fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war. A high number of the immigrants come from other EU/EEA-members, mainly Eastern European or other Nordic countries. Iceland is not a member of the EU, but is a member of the EEA (European Economic Area). As a result of continuing immigration, the share of foreign citizens living in Iceland has increased during recent years. Iceland has had a positive net migration since 2013.Births and deaths
After having decreased during the first half of the last decade, the number of live births in Iceland increased slightly during the latter half, reaching nearly 4,900 in 2021 before falling again in 2022. However, the fertility rate has decreased over recent years, but is still higher than in the other Nordic countries. The average age of women at the birth of the first child is also lower in Iceland than in the other Nordic countries, but has increased gradually over the last 10 years. Meanwhile, the number of deaths reached its highest number in the last 10 years in 2022.
