Birth rate in Iceland
Iceland: Birth rate was 11.21 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
11.21 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
147th
of 236 countries
All-time high
42.72 births per 1,000 people
in 1858
All-time low
11.21 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
186
1838–2023
Birth rate in Iceland, 1838–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate in Iceland is 11.21 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 186 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Iceland peaked at 42.72 births per 1,000 people in 1858 and was at its lowest, 11.21 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Iceland 147th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 186 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 32.47 births per 1,000 people | 32.35 births per 1,000 people | 32.59 births per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1840s | 35.37 births per 1,000 people | 33.42 births per 1,000 people | 37.07 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1850s | 39.18 births per 1,000 people | 37.25 births per 1,000 people | 42.72 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1860s | 36.89 births per 1,000 people | 30.4 births per 1,000 people | 39.64 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1870s | 32.03 births per 1,000 people | 30.8 births per 1,000 people | 33.8 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1880s | 30.41 births per 1,000 people | 27.09 births per 1,000 people | 32.78 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1890s | 31.36 births per 1,000 people | 29.07 births per 1,000 people | 33.85 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1900s | 28.2 births per 1,000 people | 27.32 births per 1,000 people | 28.97 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1910s | 26.39 births per 1,000 people | 25.48 births per 1,000 people | 27.78 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1920s | 26.41 births per 1,000 people | 24.6 births per 1,000 people | 28.28 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 22.72 births per 1,000 people | 19.88 births per 1,000 people | 26.39 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 25.52 births per 1,000 people | 20.62 births per 1,000 people | 28.11 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1950s | 28.06 births per 1,000 people | 27.35 births per 1,000 people | 28.76 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 24.23 births per 1,000 people | 20.82 births per 1,000 people | 27.73 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 20.06 births per 1,000 people | 18.21 births per 1,000 people | 22.22 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.88 births per 1,000 people | 16.02 births per 1,000 people | 19.88 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.58 births per 1,000 people | 14.76 births per 1,000 people | 18.72 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.67 births per 1,000 people | 14.12 births per 1,000 people | 15.9 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.06 births per 1,000 people | 11.65 births per 1,000 people | 15.48 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.94 births per 1,000 people | 11.21 births per 1,000 people | 12.93 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 144 Falkland Islands 11.31 births per 1,000 people compare
- 145 Saint Lucia 11.26 births per 1,000 people compare
- 148 United States Virgin Islands 11.19 births per 1,000 people compare
- 149 Barbados 11.17 births per 1,000 people compare
- 150 Dominica 11.09 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for Iceland
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 13,661 people (2100)
- Population density 3.6 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.56 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 7,879 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.56 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.56 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 0.4% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.54 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Iceland?
- Birth rate in Iceland was 11.21 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 42.72 births per 1,000 people in 1858.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.21 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Iceland rank for birth rate?
- Iceland ranks 147th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.