Population growth rate in Iceland
Iceland: Population growth rate was 1.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.6%
Change on year
down 22.3%
World rank
71st
of 236 countries
All-time high
2.9%
in 2017
All-time low
-0.5%
in 2009
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Population growth rate in Iceland, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, population growth rate in Iceland stood at 1.6%.
The figure is down 22.3% on the previous year and up 39.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Iceland peaked at 2.9% in 2017 and was at its lowest, -0.5%, in 2009.
Iceland ranks 71st of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Population growth rate in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.3% | — |
| 1951 | 1.5% | -32.5% |
| 1952 | 1.7% | +7.1% |
| 1953 | 2.3% | +41.2% |
| 1954 | 2.3% | -2.0% |
| 1955 | 2.2% | -4.6% |
| 1956 | 2.0% | -8.2% |
| 1957 | 2.5% | +25.1% |
| 1958 | 2.0% | -21.3% |
| 1959 | 2.2% | +9.5% |
| 1960 | 1.9% | -9.7% |
| 1961 | 1.9% | -1.0% |
| 1962 | 1.8% | -8.0% |
| 1963 | 1.8% | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 1.8% | -1.0% |
| 1965 | 1.7% | -6.9% |
| 1966 | 1.7% | +1.1% |
| 1967 | 1.5% | -8.8% |
| 1968 | 1.2% | -23.5% |
| 1969 | 0.7% | -42.8% |
| 1970 | 0.4% | -39.6% |
| 1971 | 1.2% | +201.7% |
| 1972 | 1.7% | +38.4% |
| 1973 | 1.3% | -22.4% |
| 1974 | 1.4% | +4.7% |
| 1975 | 1.2% | -15.1% |
| 1976 | 0.8% | -31.3% |
| 1977 | 0.7% | -14.9% |
| 1978 | 0.9% | +28.1% |
| 1979 | 1.1% | +21.9% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | -2.8% |
| 1981 | 1.2% | +18.5% |
| 1982 | 1.4% | +16.7% |
| 1983 | 1.2% | -15.4% |
| 1984 | 0.9% | -24.5% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | -27.6% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | +21.4% |
| 1987 | 1.4% | +70.6% |
| 1988 | 1.7% | +27.1% |
| 1989 | 0.7% | -57.3% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1991 | 1.5% | +84.0% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -31.9% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 0.7% | -28.3% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -49.4% |
| 1996 | 0.7% | +94.3% |
| 1997 | 0.9% | +30.9% |
| 1998 | 1.2% | +29.9% |
| 1999 | 1.2% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | +27.1% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | -26.1% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -42.4% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | +11.9% |
| 2004 | 1.0% | +40.9% |
| 2005 | 2.1% | +106.8% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | +19.9% |
| 2007 | 2.5% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | -50.5% |
| 2009 | -0.5% | -144.0% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -147.7% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | +36.2% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | +100.6% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | +65.8% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | -10.7% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 1.7% | +66.6% |
| 2017 | 2.9% | +70.0% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | -17.8% |
| 2019 | 2.0% | -18.0% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | -35.7% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | +55.5% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | +6.7% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -22.3% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 1.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 3.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 1.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.1%, 22.6× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.1% | 1.5% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.6% | 0.7% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.1% | 0.4% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.4% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.3% | -0.5% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 0.3% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.3% | 2.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 68 French Guiana 1.7% compare
- 69 Zimbabwe 1.7% compare
- 70 Saint Barthelemy 1.7% compare
- 72 Botswana 1.6% compare
- 73 Kyrgyzstan 1.6% compare
- 74 Jordan 1.6% compare
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 population growth rate in Iceland?
- Population growth rate in Iceland was 1.6% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 2017.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.5% in 2009.
- How does Iceland rank for population growth rate?
- Iceland ranks 71st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland 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.