26. Feb 2026
Surveying living conditions in the Faroe Islands for the first time

Statistics Faroe Islands is now launching a major survey on living conditions. In the survey, 6,000 households will be asked to participate. This is the largest survey Statistics Faroe Islands has conducted since the census in 2011.

Do you have the opportunity to eat a hot meal every other day? Can you afford to pay an unexpected expense? And are you able to regularly take part in leisure activities?

These are some of the questions in the new survey on income and living conditions that Statistics Faroe Islands has launched for the first time. This will be an annually recurring survey that provides statistics on how people in the Faroe Islands experience everyday life.

The survey describes income and living conditions in a broad sense. Questions are asked about everything from housing conditions, education, employment, income, health, well-being, and social needs.

One of the largest surveys in Europe

The survey is internationally comparable and is called the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). It is conducted every year in most European countries and is considered one of the largest surveys in Europe. In Faroese, the survey is called Lívskorakanningin. It makes it possible to compare our income and living conditions with those of the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe.

The same survey in our neighbouring countries shows that 15% of all households in Denmark and Norway experience housing costs as a heavy financial burden. In Iceland and Germany, the figures are slightly lower, at 13% and 12% respectively, and in the Netherlands 7%.

Mynd 1

The survey also shows that in the Netherlands 12%, and in Germany 10%, cannot afford to spend a small amount on themselves most weeks. In Denmark the figure is about 9%, and 5% in Norway and Iceland.

Mynd 2

Particularly in Germany, many households are unable to pay larger unexpected expenses — as many as 32%. Among our neighbouring countries Norway, Iceland, and Denmark, more than one in five households are also unable to pay. In the Netherlands, 17% are unable to pay a large unexpected expense.

Mynd 3

Who receives the survey and how?

6,000 households — or nearly every third household in the Faroe Islands — will receive the survey in the coming days.

The survey takes between 20 and 45 minutes to complete. It is comprehensive, but it has been designed to make it as easy as possible to respond.

The survey will be sent via Mínboks. People who do not have Mínboks will be contacted by phone. We will also call those who have not responded once the deadline has passed. The deadline to respond to the survey is 8 April. All responses will be treated confidentially and used solely for statistical purposes.

The first Faroese statistics on income and living conditions are expected to be available later this year.