Population
11. May 2023
Population on 1 April was 54,362
The population growth continues, but this growth has slowed down considerably in the past few months. This is mainly due to a significant drop in the excess of live births over deaths.
However, this downward trend now appears to be reversing again as the death rate is declining.
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The population trend is determined by the excess of live births over deaths and net migration, i.e. the difference between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants. The population growth in the past year comes from an excess of births of 187 people and a net migration figure of 382 people. The table below shows a slight increase in the excess of births. This is mainly due to fewer deaths compared to the previous 12-month period. The net migration figure has gone down slightly, predominantly because of increased emigration.
Slight drop in net migration
There has been a relatively high increase in both immigration and emigration since 2020. Up to last autumn, the trends for immigration and emigration were almost parallel, i.e. there was a near-equal increase in immigration and emigration. However, the immigration figure has since dropped somewhat while the emigration trend has remained more stable. The graph below shows the trends in immigration and emigration.
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Slightly higher excess of births
The death rate trend, which has been very stable in recent years, rose unusually high in the first half of 2022. This combination of a low birth rate and a high death rate has resulted in a significantly lower excess of births figure. However, the death rate has gone down again in recent months, resulting in a steadier trend in the excess of births. The graph below shows the trends for births and deaths.
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Growth in most municipalities
The population grew in 18 out of the 29 municipalities in the past year. Tórshavn, Runavík and Sjóvar municipalities enjoyed the highest growth, while Eystur and Hvalba municipalities had the biggest decline.
The towns at the top of the population growth list are Tórshavn, Hoyvík, Strendur, Argir and Klaksvík. The biggest population decline was registered in Leirvík, Kollafjørður and Hvalba.
The table below shows the population across the 29 municipalities, with details for each town and village on 1 April 2022 and 1 April 2023.
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Population figures have a one-month lag
The figures have a one-month lag due to delays in registrations, especially regarding address changes, where many registrations are made after the month of address change has ended. To accommodate as many corrections as possible, there is a one-month lag in the data.
About the population figures
The population is defined as all individuals registered in the national register as residents of the Faroe Islands. Population data includes date of birth, gender, place of birth, citizenship, relationship status, and, where applicable, information on immigration and emigration, domestically as well as between the Faroe Islands and other nations.
About the trend
The trend describes the population trend by adjusting for seasonal effects and other error components in the population figure.