Population
12. Feb 2025
Population was 54,684 on 1 January — up 0.5% year-on-year
The population growth that began accelerating in 2014 peaked in summer 2019 when the population increased by 900 people during a 12-month period. The population growth has been on a slow decline since then and now appears to have almost come to a standstill. Since June last year, each 12-month period has seen a population growth of about 0.5%.
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Excess of births at all-time low
In 2024, 586 children were born, an increase of 12 compared to 2023. Some 446 people died in 2024, 33 more than in 2023. This excess of births over deaths figure of 140 in 2024 is the lowest figure for a calendar year since 1985 when records began.
About 1,500 people moved to the Faroes in 2024, about 250 fewer than in 2023. Some 1,350 moved away from the Faroes in 2024, about 200 fewer than in 2023. As immigration declined more than emigration, net migration (the difference between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants) was lower in 2024 than in 2023.
The excess of births and net migration represented about half each of the population growth in 2024.
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Population changes in the past five years
The graph below shows live births, deaths and migration figures for the past five years.
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Declining migration
The graph below shows the monthly trends for immigration and emigration. Note that trends for the past six months should be interpreted with caution due to incomplete data.
The graph shows a declining trend for both immigration and emigration and indicates that immigration is declining more than emigration.
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More births and deaths
The graph below illustrates monthly trends in births and deaths. Note that trends for the past six months should be interpreted with caution due to incomplete data.
The birth rate trend suggests that the steadily decreasing trend has now turned into an increase. There are also indications that the death rate trend is reversing.
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Major growth in Sjóvar and Skálavík municipalities
The table below shows the population across the 29 municipalities, with details for each town and village on 1 January 2024 and 1 January 2025.
The five municipalities with the highest population growth in 2024 were Tórshavn, Nes, Runavík, Sjóvar and Skálavík. Compared to 2023, Sjóvar and Skálavík have replaced Klaksvík and Eystur on the top-5 list of municipalities with the highest population growth in 2024.
The most populous municipalities are the same as before: Tórshavn, Klaksvík, Runavík, Eystur and Vágar.
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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.