Total fertility rate: births per woman in Iceland
Iceland: Total fertility rate: births per woman was 1.59 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
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.
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
- 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)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.56 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.56 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 7,879 people (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.56 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 1.54 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 1.53 children per women (2023)
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
The average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime if she experienced the fertility rates of a specific year.