Population
07. Dec 2022
Population is 54,150 – a year-on-year increase of 1.1%
The population growth has dropped from 1.5% to 1.1% in the past year. This is mainly due to an unusually low excess of births over deaths. The graph below shows the population trend for the past two years.
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The population trend is determined by net migration (the difference in the number of immigrants and emigrants) and the excess of live births over deaths. The population growth in the past year comes from an excess of births of 124 people and a net migration figure of 483 people. The table below shows that net migration dropped slightly compared to the previous 12-month period and that the excess of births dropped by more than half.
Many emigrants – even more immigrants
The trend in the graph below shows that migration picked up pace at the end of 2020. Emigration increased relatively quickly up to the end of 2021 and has since stabilised at a monthly average of about 117 people. Emigration figures have not been significantly higher than they are now since 2014.
Immigration was on a steady rise until June 2022 after which it dropped slightly to a monthly average of 160 people.
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Fewer births – fewer deaths
The trend in the graph below shows that the number of live births is on a slight decline and now averages at just over 50 newborns per month.
The past year has seen periods with an unusually high number of deaths, as is reflected in the trend. While the trend currently indicates a monthly average number of deaths of 35, there were periods earlier this year where this figure reached 45.
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Population by municipality and town/village
The table below shows the population across the 29 municipalities, with details for each town and village, on 1 November 2021 and 1 November 2022.
Tórshavn, Runavík and Sjóvar municipalities had the highest population growth in the past year, while Sumba and Skálavík municipalities saw the greatest decline.
The towns and villages with the highest population growth were Tórshavn, Argir, Hoyvík and Strendur. The greatest population decline was in Søldarfjørður, Sørvágur and Skálavík.
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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.