
Population growth on the Faroe Islands
From 1960 to 2021 the population of the Faroe Islands increased from 34,624.00 to 52,889.00 people. This is a growth of 52.8 percent in 61 years. The highest increase on the Faroe Islands was recorded in 2015 with 1.77 percent. The biggest decrease in 1993 with -1.00 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age on the Faroe Islands in 2021 was 37.20 years (median value).
Around 43 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 1.3 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Faroe Islands
Population development on the Faroe Islands since 1960
(Data given in 1000 inhabitants)Year | Population Faroe Islands | Change Faroe Islands | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 35,000 | 1.30 % | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |||
1962 | 36,000 | 1.27 % | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |||
1963 | 36,000 | 1.25 % | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |||
1964 | 36,000 | 1.23 % | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |||
1965 | 37,000 | 1.19 % | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |||
1966 | 37,000 | 1.19 % | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |||
1967 | 38,000 | 1.13 % | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |||
1968 | 38,000 | 1.13 % | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |||
1969 | 39,000 | 1.13 % | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |||
1970 | 39,000 | 1.16 % | 21.1 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 39,000 | 1.15 % | 20.2 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 40,000 | 1.16 % | 20.5 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 40,000 | 1.20 % | 20.5 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 41,000 | 1.12 % | 19.9 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 41,000 | 1.09 % | 19.2 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 42,000 | 1.05 % | 18.3 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 42,000 | 0.98 % | 18.2 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 43,000 | 0.96 % | 17.5 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 43,000 | 0.95 % | 18.4 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 43,000 | 0.93 % | 17.1 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 44,000 | 0.89 % | 17.2 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 44,000 | 0.86 % | 16.4 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 44,000 | 0.87 % | 15.4 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 45,000 | 0.93 % | 15.4 ‰ | 7.8 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 45,000 | 0.96 % | 16.3 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 46,000 | 1.07 % | 17.2 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 46,000 | 1.15 % | 16.8 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 47,000 | 1.06 % | 18.4 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 47,000 | 0.70 % | 19.5 ‰ | 7.8 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 47,000 | 0.25 % | 19.9 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 47,000 | -0.32 % | 18.3 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 47,000 | -0.80 % | 17.2 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 46,000 | -1.00 % | 16.6 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 46,000 | -0.93 % | 15.0 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 46,000 | -0.49 % | 14.8 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 46,000 | 0.00 % | 15.5 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 46,000 | 0.36 % | 15.1 ‰ | 8.6 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 46,000 | 0.67 % | 14.0 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 46,000 | 0.72 % | 13.9 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 47,000 | 0.67 % | 15.1 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 47,000 | 0.56 % | 13.6 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 47,000 | 0.50 % | 15.0 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 47,000 | 0.43 % | 14.7 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 48,000 | 0.34 % | 14.8 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 48,000 | 0.28 % | 14.7 ‰ | 8.6 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 48,000 | 0.13 % | 13.7 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 48,000 | 0.07 % | 14.0 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 48,000 | -0.01 % | 13.8 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 48,000 | -0.02 % | 12.6 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 48,000 | -0.02 % | 13.2 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 48,000 | 0.03 % | 12.0 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 48,000 | 0.06 % | 12.9 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 48,000 | 0.12 % | 13.0 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 48,000 | 0.13 % | 13.2 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 49,000 | 1.77 % | 12.4 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
2016 | 50,000 | 1.40 % | 13.6 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
2017 | 50,000 | 1.47 % | 13.1 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 51,000 | 1.44 % | 13.4 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
2019 | 52,000 | 1.42 % | 13.2 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 52,000 | 1.42 % | 12.9 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
2021 | 53,000 | 0.90 % | 12.8 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |

Birth and death rate on the Faroe Islands
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2021 in the graph: The population on the Faroe Islands increased by about 470 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 8.1 per 1,000 people (~ 420 deaths) and the birth rate was 12.8 per 1,000 people (~ 670 births). As a result, around 220 inhabitants have to be added by migration from other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 396 on the Faroe Islands. The number of births was 653 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate