Population growth rate in Greenland
Greenland: Population growth rate was -0.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population growth rate in Greenland, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Greenland recorded -0.1% for population growth rate in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 38.2% on the previous year and up 74.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Greenland peaked at 4.4% in 1960 and was at its lowest, -0.7%, in 2014.
That places Greenland 191st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth rate in Greenland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.2% | — |
| 1951 | 1.7% | -19.5% |
| 1952 | 2.5% | +44.8% |
| 1953 | 2.7% | +5.8% |
| 1954 | 2.8% | +6.0% |
| 1955 | 3.1% | +9.0% |
| 1956 | 3.8% | +23.8% |
| 1957 | 4.0% | +4.9% |
| 1958 | 4.2% | +4.6% |
| 1959 | 4.4% | +4.9% |
| 1960 | 4.4% | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 3.6% | -17.1% |
| 1962 | 3.6% | -1.6% |
| 1963 | 3.6% | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 3.6% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 3.5% | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 3.7% | +3.5% |
| 1967 | 3.4% | -7.3% |
| 1968 | 3.2% | -5.7% |
| 1969 | 3.1% | -4.3% |
| 1970 | 2.9% | -5.8% |
| 1971 | 1.6% | -43.0% |
| 1972 | 1.6% | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 1.4% | -10.7% |
| 1974 | 1.2% | -12.6% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | -19.5% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | -30.4% |
| 1977 | -0.0% | -105.2% |
| 1978 | 0.0% | -150.0% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | +488.9% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | +1038.7% |
| 1981 | 1.2% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 1.2% | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 1.2% | -1.8% |
| 1984 | 1.3% | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 1.0% | -20.1% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 1.0% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 1.0% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | -8.0% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | -74.7% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -58.3% |
| 1992 | 0.0% | -76.8% |
| 1993 | -0.0% | -109.1% |
| 1994 | -0.0% | +1350.0% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | -1303.4% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -36.7% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | -38.0% |
| 1998 | 0.0% | -70.1% |
| 1999 | -0.1% | -373.2% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | -450.9% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | -17.0% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | -9.8% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -20.1% |
| 2005 | -0.1% | -133.5% |
| 2006 | -0.2% | +110.5% |
| 2007 | -0.2% | +21.3% |
| 2008 | -0.2% | +20.1% |
| 2009 | -0.3% | +11.6% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | -326.2% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | -68.0% |
| 2012 | -0.4% | -305.9% |
| 2013 | -0.5% | +41.9% |
| 2014 | -0.7% | +20.0% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -117.9% |
| 2016 | 0.0% | -78.8% |
| 2017 | 0.0% | -56.0% |
| 2018 | -0.0% | -118.2% |
| 2019 | 0.0% | -2050.0% |
| 2020 | -0.1% | -241.0% |
| 2021 | -0.1% | +45.5% |
| 2022 | -0.1% | +27.5% |
| 2023 | -0.1% | +38.2% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's -0.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%. (85 countries reporting)
- Greenland's -0.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.1%. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in Greenland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +2050.0% | -0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1994 | -1350.0% | -0.0% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | +1303.4% | -0.0% | 0.3% |
| 1980 | +1038.7% | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| 1979 | +488.9% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2000 | +450.9% | -0.1% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.1% | 1.7% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.6% | 3.1% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.1% | -0.0% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | -0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | -0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.1% | -0.7% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.1% | -0.1% | -0.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
More population data for Greenland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6084 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.75 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6084 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7286 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8929 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 0.0907 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1,776 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 0.1176 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Greenland?
- Population growth rate in Greenland was -0.1% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 1960.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.7% in 2014.
- How does Greenland rank for population growth rate?
- Greenland ranks 191st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 74.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Greenland data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.