By 2018, the population of Iceland is more than 350 thousand inhabitants. According to the World Bank and Icelandic statistics, the birth rate in Iceland in 2017 fell to a historic low, however, the birth rate on the island is still 30-40% higher than the number of deaths. The population growth is also provided by immigrants, who are becoming more and more in the state - 11% of the total population in 2017 [1] . The government of the country, as follows from its answers to the UN questionnaire published in 2011, has never applied measures to stimulate fertility [2] .
Content
History
Iceland was inhabited in the 9th-10th centuries, and since then it has been inhabited mainly by the descendants of the first settlers; later immigration to the island was limited. Until the middle of the 20th century, most of the population lived on isolated farms. In the history of the country, there have been sharp reductions in the number of inhabitants due to epidemics, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and famines. In the twentieth century, there was a constant population growth (1.5% per year) and the migration of rural residents to cities. Currently, 95% of the inhabitants live in cities and towns. In the northern part of the country, settlements are concentrated along the coast and in river valleys. 20% of the territory of Iceland is not populated.
Age and sex composition
Average age of the population: total - 35.1 years, men - 34.6 years, women - 35.6 years (according to 2008).
Age Composition:
- younger than 15 years old - 20.7% (men - 32.268 / women - 31.308)
- 15-64 years old - 67.1% (men - 104.158 / women - 101.584)
- over 65 years old - 12.2% (men - 16.952 / women - 20.424).
Population Dynamics
Demographic development, according to official statistics [3] :
| Year | Number of the population | Number birth | Number deaths | Natural growth | Coeff. birth rate (per 1 thousand) | Coeff. mortality rate (per 1 thousand) | Natural growth (per 1 thousand) | Amount coefficient birth rate (children for 1 wife.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1703 | 50,358 | ... | ||||||
| 1740 | 45,022 | -144 | ||||||
| 1750 | 48,241 | 513 | ||||||
| 1760 | 43,716 | 503 | ||||||
| 1770 | 47.361 | 496 | ||||||
| 1780 | 50,630 | -312 | ||||||
| 1790 | 40,051 | 616 | ||||||
| 1800 | 46.176 | 1.010 | ||||||
| 1810 | 48,271 | 336 | ||||||
| 1820 | 47,994 | 91 | ||||||
| 1830 | 51,403 | 1,247 | ||||||
| 1840 | 56,893 | 1,994 | 1,760 | 234 | 35.0 | 30.9 | 4.1 | |
| 1850 | 59,586 | 2,284 | 1,442 | 842 | 38.3 | 24.2 | 14.1 | |
| 1860 | 67,754 | 2,390 | 3,256 | -866 | 35.3 | 48.1 | -12.8 | 4.58 |
| 1870 | 69,463 | 2,191 | 1,613 | 578 | 31.5 | 23.2 | 8.3 | 4.03 |
| 1880 | 71,981 | 2,268 | 1,509 | 759 | 31.5 | 21.0 | 10.5 | 4.25 |
| 1890 | 70,581 | 2,189 | 1,954 | 235 | 31.0 | 27.7 | 3.3 | 4.07 |
| 1900 | 77,967 | 2,237 | 1,545 | 692 | 28.6 | 19.8 | 8.9 | 3.93 |
| 1905 | 80,396 | 2,271 | 1,435 | 836 | 28.1 | 17.8 | 10.4 | 4.02 |
| 1910 | 84,528 | 2,171 | 1,304 | 867 | 25.6 | 15.4 | 10.2 | 3.79 |
| 1915 | 88,076 | 2,446 | 1,376 | 1,070 | 27.6 | 15.5 | 12.1 | 4.00 |
| 1920 | 92,855 | 2,627 | 1,360 | 1,267 | 28.1 | 14.5 | 13.5 | 3.96 |
| 1925 | 98,483 | 2,554 | 1,229 | 1,325 | 25.7 | 12.4 | 13.3 | 3.59 |
| 1930 | 106,360 | 2,808 | 1,248 | 1,560 | 26.1 | 11.6 | 14.5 | 3.59 |
| 1935 | 114,743 | 2,551 | 1,402 | 1,149 | 22.1 | 12.2 | 10.0 | 2.99 |
| 1940 | 120,264 | 2,480 | 1,200 | 1,280 | 20.5 | 9.9 | 10.6 | 2.75 |
| 1945 | 127,791 | 3,434 | 1,179 | 2,255 | 26.6 | 9.1 | 17.5 | 3.55 |
| 1950 | 141.042 | 4,093 | 1,122 | 2,971 | 28.7 | 7.9 | 20.8 | 3.86 |
| 1955 | 156,033 | 4,505 | 1,099 | 3,406 | 28.5 | 7.0 | 21.6 | 4.07 |
| 1960 | 173,855 | 4,916 | 1,167 | 3,749 | 28.0 | 6.6 | 21.3 | 4.29 |
| 1965 | 190,652 | 4,721 | 1,291 | 3,430 | 24.6 | 6.7 | 17.8 | 3.73 |
| 1970 | 204,042 | 4,023 | 1,457 | 2,566 | 19.7 | 7.1 | 12.6 | 2.79 |
| 1975 | 216,695 | 4,384 | 1,412 | 2,972 | 20.1 | 6.5 | 13.6 | 2.71 |
| 1980 | 226,948 | 4,528 | 1,538 | 2,990 | 19.8 | 6.7 | 13.1 | 2.49 |
| 1985 | 240,606 | 3,856 | 1,652 | 2,204 | 16.0 | 6.8 | 9.1 | 1.93 |
| 1990 | 253,785 | 4,768 | 1,704 | 3,064 | 18.7 | 6.7 | 12.0 | 2,308 |
| 1995 | 266,978 | 4,280 | 1,923 | 2,357 | 16.0 | 7.2 | 8.8 | 2.080 |
| 2000 | 279,049 | 4,315 | 1,823 | 2,492 | 15.3 | 6.5 | 8.9 | 2.076 |
| 2001 | 283,361 | 4,091 | 1,725 | 2,366 | 14.4 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 1.949 |
| 2002 | 286,575 | 4,049 | 1,821 | 2,228 | 14.1 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 1.932 |
| 2003 | 288,471 | 4,143 | 1,827 | 2,316 | 14.3 | 6.3 | 8.0 | 1.991 |
| 2004 | 290.570 | 4,234 | 1,824 | 2,410 | 14.5 | 6.2 | 8.3 | 2.034 |
| 2005 | 293,577 | 4,280 | 1,838 | 2,442 | 14.4 | 6.2 | 8.2 | 2.052 |
| 2006 | 299,891 | 4,415 | 1,903 | 2,512 | 14.5 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 2.075 |
| 2007 | 307,672 | 4,560 | 1,943 | 2,617 | 14.6 | 6.2 | 8.4 | 2.094 |
| 2008 | 315,459 | 4,835 | 2,186 | 2,244 | 14.2 | 6.2 | 7.0 | 2.140 |
| 2009 | 319,368 | 5,026 | 2,002 | 3,024 | 15.7 | 6.3 | 9.4 | 2.221 |
| 2010 | 317,630 | 4,907 | 2,020 | 2,887 | 15.5 | 6.4 | 9.1 | 2.198 |
| 2011 | 318,452 | 4,492 | 1,985 | 2,511 | 14.1 | 6.2 | 7.9 | 2.018 |
| 2012 | 319,575 | 4,533 | 1,960 | 2,573 | 14.2 | 6.1 | 8.1 | 2.036 |
| 2013 | 321,857 | 4,326 | 2,154 | 2,172 | 13.4 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 1.933 |
| 2014 | 325,671 | 4,375 | 2,049 | 2,326 | 13.5 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 1.931 |
| 2015 | 329,100 | 4,129 | 2,178 | 1,951 | 12,42 | 6.55 | 5.87 | 1.805 |
| 2016 | 332,529 |
Ethnic composition
The ethnic composition is no longer as homogeneous as in past decades: approximately 86% are Icelandic speakers who speak Icelandic . [4] Danes , Norwegians , Poles , Germans , Lithuanians , etc. also live in the country. A significant part of the population speaks Danish. In Icelandic schools, Danish is taught from the 6th grade [5] . The average population density is about 3 people per 1 km². About 60% of the population is concentrated in the southwestern part of the country. Settlements are located mainly along the coast and in the depths of the fjords . In the central part of the island there are only farms (20-30 people each); most live in cities and fishing villages. Reykjavik , the capital of Iceland, is home to 40% of the country's population (together with the agglomeration - 65%), other significant points are Akureyri , Koupavogur , Habnarfjördur , Isafjordur , Eilstadir , Höbn , Siglufjördur , Heimaei ( Vestmannaeyjar ).
Religion
Almost 73% of the population nominally belong to the Evangelical Lutheran churches (the vast majority belong to the Church of Iceland ), 12.6% of the population are pagans, belongs to the creed " Asatra " (literally "faithful to the Asam"), based on the ancient Scandinavian creed, 3.85% - to the Roman Catholic Church , 2.3% - to the Reykjavik Free Church , 1.6% - to the Habnarfjördur Free Church, 2.8% - to other Christian religions, 0.9% - to other religions, 6.69% - others or undecided (data of 2018).
However, in reality, modern Icelandic society is quite secular. For example, in a 2010 survey [6] , only 31% of the population definitely “believes in God”.
Employment
The economically active population of Iceland is 208,400 people (as of April 2019), of which 36% are employed in agriculture , 21% in fishing , 18% in industry and crafts , 15% in trade and transport , 10% - other.
Notes
- ↑ The birth rate in Iceland fell to a historic low (Russian) , TASS (May 31, 2018). Date of appeal May 31, 2018.
- ↑ Andreev E.M. Critical notes about the publications of A.V. Korotaeva et al. // Demographic Review. - 2014. - T. I , No. 3 . - S. 151-152 .
- ↑ Frontpage - Hagstofa Neopr . Hagstofa. Date of appeal May 31, 2018.
- ↑ Statistics Iceland. Population by origin, sex and age 1996-2018 (2018).
- ↑ Aksyonova E.A. Features of the development of school education in Iceland // School technologies. - 2011. - No. 5 . - S. 124 .
- ↑ EuroBarometer / European Commision. "Special Eurobarometer: Biotechnology" (PDF) (2010). Archived October 10, 2010.