Total fertility rate: births per woman in Iceland
Iceland: Total fertility rate: births per woman was 1.59 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.59 births per woman
Change on year
down 4.6%
World rank
6th
of 34 countries
All-time high
4.3 births per woman
in 1960
All-time low
1.59 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
64
1960–2023
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Iceland, 1960–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, total fertility rate: births per woman in Iceland stood at 1.59 births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.6% on the previous year and down 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total fertility rate: births per woman in Iceland peaked at 4.3 births per woman in 1960 and was at its lowest, 1.59 births per woman, in 2023.
Iceland ranks 6th of 34 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Iceland, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4.3 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 3.93 births per woman | -8.7% |
| 1962 | 3.99 births per woman | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 3.99 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 3.88 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1965 | 3.73 births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1966 | 3.59 births per woman | -3.8% |
| 1967 | 3.29 births per woman | -8.4% |
| 1968 | 3.06 births per woman | -6.7% |
| 1969 | 2.99 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 2.81 births per woman | -5.9% |
| 1971 | 2.92 births per woman | +3.8% |
| 1972 | 3.09 births per woman | +5.9% |
| 1973 | 2.94 births per woman | -4.9% |
| 1974 | 2.66 births per woman | -9.7% |
| 1975 | 2.65 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 2.52 births per woman | -4.7% |
| 1977 | 2.31 births per woman | -8.4% |
| 1978 | 2.35 births per woman | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 2.49 births per woman | +5.9% |
| 1980 | 2.48 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 2.33 births per woman | -5.9% |
| 1982 | 2.26 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 2.24 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 2.08 births per woman | -7.3% |
| 1985 | 1.93 births per woman | -7.1% |
| 1986 | 1.93 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 2.07 births per woman | +7.2% |
| 1988 | 2.27 births per woman | +9.6% |
| 1989 | 2.2 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 2.31 births per woman | +4.9% |
| 1991 | 2.19 births per woman | -5.3% |
| 1992 | 2.21 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 2.22 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 2.14 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.08 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 2.12 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 2.04 births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 2.05 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 1.99 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 2.08 births per woman | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 1.95 births per woman | -6.1% |
| 2002 | 1.93 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 1.99 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 2.04 births per woman | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 2.05 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 2.08 births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 2.09 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 2.15 births per woman | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 2.23 births per woman | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 2.24 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 2.09 births per woman | -6.8% |
| 2012 | 2.11 births per woman | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 2 births per woman | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 1.99 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 1.86 births per woman | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 1.8 births per woman | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 1.76 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 1.76 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.81 births per woman | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 1.79 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 1.91 births per woman | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 1.67 births per woman | -12.3% |
| 2023 | 1.59 births per woman | -4.6% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 1.59 births per woman is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.48 births per woman, 1.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 1.59 births per woman is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.48 births per woman, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.68 births per woman | 2.99 births per woman | 4.3 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.67 births per woman | 2.31 births per woman | 3.09 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.18 births per woman | 1.93 births per woman | 2.48 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.13 births per woman | 1.99 births per woman | 2.31 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.06 births per woman | 1.93 births per woman | 2.23 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.94 births per woman | 1.76 births per woman | 2.24 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.74 births per woman | 1.59 births per woman | 1.91 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More population data for Iceland
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.2688 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6617 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4806 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total fertility rate: births per woman in Iceland?
- Total fertility rate: births per woman in Iceland was 1.59 births per woman in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 4.3 births per woman in 1960.
- What is the lowest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.59 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Iceland rank for total fertility rate: births per woman?
- Iceland ranks 6th out of 34 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime if she experienced the fertility rates of a specific year.