Population
10. Oct 2024
Population was 54,679 on 1 September — up 0.6% year-on-year
June, July and August are peak months for migration to and from the Faroes. More people move to the Faroe Islands during the summer while many move out of the country, e.g. for study purposes. This is reflected in the population figure, which typically sees unusual growth towards August followed by a decrease. This year is no exception to this trend, as reflected in the graph below.
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The population trend is determined by net migration, i.e. the difference between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants, and the excess of live births over deaths. The population growth in the Faroes in the past year was driven by an excess of births of 131 people and a net migration figure of 172 people.
The population growth in the past 12 months was slower than in the previous period. The difference of 180 people is reflected in both the excess of births and in net migration. The excess of births fell by about 80 people compared with the previous 12-month period. The net migration figure fell by 100. Although fewer people left the Faroes this past year than in the previous 12-month period, even fewer moved to the country. See more figure in the table below.
Fewer births
The graph below shows the monthly trends for births and deaths. While the trend for deaths has stabilised at a monthly average of 35, the steadily declining trend for births continues. Over the past three years, the birth trend has fallen from 54 to 44 children on average per month.
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Less migration
The trends in the graph below show that migration is on a decline. Immigration has declined slightly more than emigration, resulting in lower net migration. Over the past year and a half, net migration per 12-month period has been reduced by half.
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Summer migration
June, July and August are the peak months for migration to and from the Faroes. This summer saw the lowest summer migration figure in ten years. Emigrants outnumbered immigrants by about 30 this summer, which is about the same figure as last summer. For comparison, net migration during the summer months was positive in the years from 2014 to 2021. The graph below shows summer migration in the past two decades.
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Highest growth in the largest municipalities
Out of the 29 municipalities, Tórshavn, Nes, Klaksvík and Vágar municipalities had the highest population growth. The municipalities with the biggest population decline were Vágur, Sunda and Eiði, each with a population decline of more than 30 people in the past year. The table below shows the population across the 29 municipalities, with details for each town and village on 1 September 2023 and 1 September 2024. More details about individual towns and villages are available here.
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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.