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.
Birth rate in Iceland, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1838 | 32.59 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1839 | 32.35 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1840 | 35.21 births per 1,000 people | +8.8% |
| 1841 | 37.07 births per 1,000 people | +5.3% |
| 1842 | 36.55 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1843 | 34.18 births per 1,000 people | -6.5% |
| 1844 | 33.42 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1845 | 35.31 births per 1,000 people | +5.7% |
| 1846 | 35.31 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1847 | 33.44 births per 1,000 people | -5.3% |
| 1848 | 36.86 births per 1,000 people | +10.2% |
| 1849 | 36.4 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1850 | 38.3 births per 1,000 people | +5.2% |
| 1851 | 38.21 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1852 | 39.1 births per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1853 | 40.04 births per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1854 | 39.26 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 1855 | 38.04 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1856 | 37.25 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1857 | 40.46 births per 1,000 people | +8.6% |
| 1858 | 42.72 births per 1,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1859 | 38.4 births per 1,000 people | -10.1% |
| 1860 | 35.28 births per 1,000 people | -8.1% |
| 1861 | 36.6 births per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1862 | 38.89 births per 1,000 people | +6.3% |
| 1863 | 38.21 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1864 | 39.64 births per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1865 | 39.07 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1866 | 37.51 births per 1,000 people | -4.0% |
| 1867 | 39.05 births per 1,000 people | +4.1% |
| 1868 | 34.24 births per 1,000 people | -12.3% |
| 1869 | 30.4 births per 1,000 people | -11.2% |
| 1870 | 31.52 births per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1871 | 31.34 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1872 | 31.19 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1873 | 33.8 births per 1,000 people | +8.4% |
| 1874 | 32.13 births per 1,000 people | -5.0% |
| 1875 | 32.11 births per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1876 | 33.1 births per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1877 | 30.8 births per 1,000 people | -6.9% |
| 1878 | 33.02 births per 1,000 people | +7.2% |
| 1879 | 31.24 births per 1,000 people | -5.4% |
| 1880 | 31.5 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1881 | 32.01 births per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1882 | 31.46 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1883 | 29.36 births per 1,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1884 | 32.78 births per 1,000 people | +11.6% |
| 1885 | 31.52 births per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 1886 | 29.58 births per 1,000 people | -6.1% |
| 1887 | 27.71 births per 1,000 people | -6.3% |
| 1888 | 27.09 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1889 | 31.08 births per 1,000 people | +14.7% |
| 1890 | 31.02 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1891 | 33.42 births per 1,000 people | +7.7% |
| 1892 | 31.63 births per 1,000 people | -5.4% |
| 1893 | 31.93 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1894 | 29.74 births per 1,000 people | -6.8% |
| 1895 | 33.85 births per 1,000 people | +13.8% |
| 1896 | 31.58 births per 1,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1897 | 31.47 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1898 | 29.9 births per 1,000 people | -5.0% |
| 1899 | 29.07 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1900 | 28.7 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1901 | 27.87 births per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1902 | 28.23 births per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1903 | 28.35 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1904 | 28.81 births per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1905 | 28.26 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1906 | 28.97 births per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1907 | 28.08 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1908 | 27.38 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1909 | 27.32 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1910 | 25.67 births per 1,000 people | -6.0% |
| 1911 | 25.88 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1912 | 26.08 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1913 | 25.74 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1914 | 26.84 births per 1,000 people | +4.3% |
| 1915 | 27.78 births per 1,000 people | +3.5% |
| 1916 | 26.7 births per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 1917 | 27.03 births per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1918 | 26.72 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1919 | 25.48 births per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 1920 | 28.28 births per 1,000 people | +11.0% |
| 1921 | 27.55 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1922 | 26.76 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1923 | 27.12 births per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1924 | 25.86 births per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 1925 | 25.95 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1926 | 26.75 births per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1927 | 25.98 births per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1928 | 24.6 births per 1,000 people | -5.3% |
| 1929 | 25.22 births per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1930 | 26.39 births per 1,000 people | +4.7% |
| 1931 | 25.81 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1932 | 24.55 births per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1933 | 22.7 births per 1,000 people | -7.5% |
| 1934 | 22.92 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1935 | 22.24 births per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 1936 | 22.07 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1937 | 20.51 births per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 1938 | 20.18 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1939 | 19.88 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1940 | 20.62 births per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1941 | 21.67 births per 1,000 people | +5.1% |
| 1942 | 24.55 births per 1,000 people | +13.3% |
| 1943 | 25.59 births per 1,000 people | +4.2% |
| 1944 | 25.5 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1945 | 26.87 births per 1,000 people | +5.4% |
| 1946 | 26.34 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 1947 | 27.92 births per 1,000 people | +6.0% |
| 1948 | 28.11 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1949 | 28.05 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1950 | 28.76 births per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1951 | 27.73 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1952 | 27.82 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1953 | 28.28 births per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1954 | 27.83 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1955 | 28.38 births per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1956 | 28.43 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1957 | 28.25 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1958 | 27.35 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1959 | 27.79 births per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1960 | 27.73 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1961 | 25.32 births per 1,000 people | -8.7% |
| 1962 | 25.81 births per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 25.9 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 25.23 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1965 | 24.5 births per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1966 | 23.89 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1967 | 22.17 births per 1,000 people | -7.2% |
| 1968 | 20.98 births per 1,000 people | -5.4% |
| 1969 | 20.82 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 19.87 births per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 1971 | 20.71 births per 1,000 people | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 22.22 births per 1,000 people | +7.3% |
| 1973 | 21.63 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1974 | 19.87 births per 1,000 people | -8.1% |
| 1975 | 20.05 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 19.55 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 18.21 births per 1,000 people | -6.8% |
| 1978 | 18.65 births per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 19.82 births per 1,000 people | +6.3% |
| 1980 | 19.88 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 18.86 births per 1,000 people | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 18.54 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 18.45 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 17.21 births per 1,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1985 | 16.1 births per 1,000 people | -6.4% |
| 1986 | 16.02 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 17.02 births per 1,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1988 | 18.5 births per 1,000 people | +8.7% |
| 1989 | 18.21 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 18.72 births per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 17.59 births per 1,000 people | -6.1% |
| 1992 | 17.71 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 17.56 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 16.76 births per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1995 | 16.11 births per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 1996 | 16.07 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 15.33 births per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 1998 | 15.18 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 14.76 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 15.21 births per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 14.34 births per 1,000 people | -5.8% |
| 2002 | 14.12 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 14.37 births per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 14.49 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 14.31 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 14.38 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 14.42 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 15.12 births per 1,000 people | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 15.9 births per 1,000 people | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 15.48 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 14.18 births per 1,000 people | -8.4% |
| 2012 | 14.14 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 13.36 births per 1,000 people | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 13.3 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 12.48 births per 1,000 people | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 11.96 births per 1,000 people | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 11.65 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 11.82 births per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 12.21 births per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 12.24 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 12.93 births per 1,000 people | +5.7% |
| 2022 | 11.39 births per 1,000 people | -11.9% |
| 2023 | 11.21 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 11.21 births per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.6 births per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 11.21 births per 1,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.31 births per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (56 countries reporting)
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
- 146 Guadeloupe 11.24 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -5.08 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.2688 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 408.78 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4806 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6617 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 3.6 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 13,661 people (2100)
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
Total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.