Share of the population born in another country in Iceland

Iceland: Share of the population born in another country was 25.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
25.1%
World rank
46th
of 231 countries
All-time high
25.1%
in 2024
All-time low
3.8%
in 1990
Years of data
8
1990–2024

Share of the population born in another country in Iceland, 1990–2024

5101520251990200720241990: 3.8 %1995: 4.8 %2000: 5.6 %2005: 8.6 %2010: 11 %2015: 11.8 %2020: 17.8 %2024: 25.1 %

Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of the population born in another country in Iceland is 25.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of up 112.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population born in another country in Iceland peaked at 25.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 1990.

Iceland ranks 46th of 231 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4.3% 3.8% 4.8% 2
2000s 7.1% 5.6% 8.6% 2
2010s 11.4% 11.0% 11.8% 2
2020s 21.5% 17.8% 25.1% 2

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 43 New Caledonia 26.2% compare
  2. 44 Brunei 25.9% compare
  3. 45 Austria 25.5% compare
  4. 47 Lebanon 24.5% compare

See the full ranking of 231 places →

More population data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population born in another country in Iceland?
Share of the population born in another country in Iceland was 25.1% in 2024, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population born in another country recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 25.1% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of the population born in another country recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 1990.
How does Iceland rank for share of the population born in another country?
Iceland ranks 46th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of the population born in another country rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 112.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population born in another country. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of the population born in another country
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
231 places, 1,848 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

Immigrants as a share of the total population.