Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Iceland
Iceland: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita was 0.9563 people per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Iceland, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Iceland is 0.9563 people per person, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Iceland peaked at 0.9586 people per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.8035 people per person, in 1960.
That places Iceland 19th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Iceland, year by year
| Year | people per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.8035 people per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.8097 people per person | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 0.8152 people per person | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 0.8202 people per person | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 0.8267 people per person | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 0.8321 people per person | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 0.8355 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 0.8391 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 0.8441 people per person | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 0.8476 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 0.8506 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 0.8535 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 0.8577 people per person | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 0.8622 people per person | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 0.8652 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 0.8688 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 0.8719 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 0.8745 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 0.8768 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 0.8789 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 0.8809 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 0.8834 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 0.886 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 0.8888 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 0.8912 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 0.8933 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 0.8956 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 0.8983 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 0.9012 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 0.904 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 0.9061 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 0.9091 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 0.9116 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 0.9131 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 0.9146 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 0.9165 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 0.9186 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 0.9204 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 0.917 people per person | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 0.9183 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 0.9199 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 0.9207 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 0.9219 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.9235 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 0.9247 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 0.9241 people per person | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 0.9222 people per person | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 0.9239 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 0.9309 people per person | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 0.9348 people per person | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 0.9349 people per person | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.9345 people per person | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.9355 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 0.9365 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 0.9366 people per person | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.9377 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 0.9382 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.9381 people per person | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.9389 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.9401 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 0.9418 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 0.9424 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 0.9377 people per person | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 0.9461 people per person | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 0.9586 people per person | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 0.9563 people per person | -0.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 0.9563 people per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.8051 people per person, 1.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 0.9563 people per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.6951 people per person, 1.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.8274 people per person | 0.8035 people per person | 0.8476 people per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.866 people per person | 0.8506 people per person | 0.8789 people per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8923 people per person | 0.8809 people per person | 0.904 people per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9145 people per person | 0.9061 people per person | 0.9204 people per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9247 people per person | 0.9199 people per person | 0.9348 people per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9371 people per person | 0.9345 people per person | 0.9401 people per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9472 people per person | 0.9377 people per person | 0.9586 people per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 16 Puerto Rico 0.9584 people per person compare
- 17 San Marino 0.9566 people per person compare
- 18 Uruguay 0.9565 people per person compare
- 20 Turks and Caicos Islands 0.944 people per person compare
- 21 Guam 0.9422 people per person compare
- 22 Luxembourg 0.9398 people per person 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 number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Iceland?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Iceland was 0.9563 people per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9586 people per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8035 people per person in 1960.
- How does Iceland rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita?
- Iceland ranks 19th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.