Population of Nordic countries 2024

In the Nordic countries, Sweden has the largest population with over ten million inhabitants in 2023. Denmark, Finland, and Norway all have between 5.5 and six million inhabitants, whereas Iceland clearly has the lowest number with only 390,000 people. The population increased in all five Nordic countries over the past 20 years.

Aging population

In all five Nordic countries, the average age of the population is increasing. In all countries except Iceland, people aged 70 years or more make up the largest age groups. Hence, one of the issues facing the Nordic countries in the coming decades is that of a shrinking working stock, while there will be more elderly people in need of daily care.

Births, deaths, and migration

The two reasons behind the constantly increasing population in the Nordic countries are that more people are born than people dying, and a positive net migration. Except for Finland, the death rate decreased in all Nordic countries over the past 20 years. However, the fertility rate has also fallen in all five countries in the recent years, meaning that an increasing immigration play an important role in sustaining the population growth.

Population in the Nordic countries from 2000 to 2024 (in millions)

Characteristic	Denmark	Finland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden
2024	5.96	5.6	0.38	-	10.55
2023	5.93	5.56	0.38	5.49	10.52
2022	5.87	5.55	0.36	5.43	10.45
2021	5.84	5.53	0.36	5.4	10.45
2020	5.82	5.53	0.35	5.37	10.38
2019	5.81	5.52	0.35	5.33	10.33
2018	5.78	5.51	0.34	5.3	10.23
2017	5.75	5.5	0.33	5.26	10.12
2016	5.7	5.49	0.33	5.21	10
2015	5.66	5.47	0.32	5.17	9.85
2014	5.63	5.45	0.32	5.11	9.75
2013	5.6	5.43	0.32	5.1	9.64
2012	5.58	5.4	0.31	4.99	9.56
2011	5.56	5.38	0.31	4.92	9.48
2010	5.53	5.35	0.32	4.86	9.42
2009	5.51	5.33	0.32	4.8	9.34
2008	5.48	5.3	0.32	4.74	9.26
2007	5.45	5.28	0.31	4.68	9.18
2006	5.43	5.26	0.3	4.64	9.11
2005	5.41	5.24	0.29	4.61	9.05
2004	5.4	5.22	0.29	4.58	9.01
2003	5.38	5.21	0.29	4.56	8.98
2002	5.37	5.19	0.29	4.52	8.94
2001	5.35	5.18	0.28	4.5	8.9
2000	5.33	5.17	0.28	4.48	8.88

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Release date

June 2024

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Region

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden

Survey time period

2000 to 2024

Supplementary notes

For this statistic, the values reported by the source have been rounded.

Numbers show the population on the 1st of January each year except Sweden, which report its population every December 31.

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