Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Iceland
Iceland: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 3.83 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
3.83 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
212th
of 216 countries
All-time high
3.83 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
1.79 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Iceland, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Iceland is 3.83 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Iceland peaked at 3.83 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.79 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Iceland ranks 212th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Iceland, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.79 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 1.82 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 1.85 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 1.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 1.92 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 1.95 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 1.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 2.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1969 | 2.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 2.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 2.06 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 2.09 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 2.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 2.15 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 2.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 2.2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 2.21 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 2.23 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 2.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 2.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 2.3 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 2.33 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 2.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 2.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 2.41 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 2.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 2.45 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 2.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 2.52 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 2.54 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 2.57 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 2.6 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 2.63 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 2.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 2.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 2.68 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 2.7 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 2.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 2.77 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 2.81 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 2.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 2.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 2.89 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 2.91 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 2.96 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 3.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 3.11 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 3.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 3.18 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 3.17 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 3.18 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 3.2 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 3.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 3.27 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 3.3 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 3.35 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 3.43 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 3.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 3.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 3.63 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 3.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 3.79 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 3.82 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 3.83 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 3.83 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 3% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 3.83 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 5% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.91 people per sq. km of land area | 1.79 people per sq. km of land area | 2.03 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.15 people per sq. km of land area | 2.04 people per sq. km of land area | 2.25 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.4 people per sq. km of land area | 2.28 people per sq. km of land area | 2.52 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.66 people per sq. km of land area | 2.54 people per sq. km of land area | 2.77 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.98 people per sq. km of land area | 2.81 people per sq. km of land area | 3.18 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.32 people per sq. km of land area | 3.17 people per sq. km of land area | 3.58 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.76 people per sq. km of land area | 3.63 people per sq. km of land area | 3.83 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 209 Libya 4.19 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 210 Suriname 3.95 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 211 Guyana 3.94 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 213 Namibia 3.68 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 214 Australia 3.54 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 215 Mongolia 2.26 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Iceland
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 4.93 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 3.16 Hectares (2020)
- Establishments, bedrooms and bed-places in tourist accommodation, by 1,124 Number (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 10.3% (2017)
- Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by degree of 9.52 million Number (2023)
- Expenditure on housing function by type of benefit and means-testing 129.35 Million euro (2024)
- Housing cost overburden rate by age, sex and poverty status 13.1% (2020)
- At-risk-of-poverty rate after deducting housing costs by age and sex 28.3% (2020)
- Average number of rooms per person by tenure status and dwelling type 1.5 Average (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Iceland?
- Population density in Iceland was 3.83 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.83 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.79 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Iceland rank for population density?
- Iceland ranks 212th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.