Page last modified 18 August 2023
98) Greenland
Community
Area
2,166,086 square kilometres (410,449 square kilometres ice free, 2005)
Population,
First Norse colony 982
3,000 (1126)*
0? (1400)*
6,046 (1805)
9,400 (1850)
11,895 (1901)
13,600 (1925)
18,431 (1938)
21,384 (1945)
23,462 (1950)
31,200 (1960) +33.0%
46,100 (1970) +47.7%
50,200 (1980) +8.9%
55,600 (1990) +10.8%
56,200 (2000) +1.1%
56,900 (2010) +1.2%
56,400 (2020) -0.9%
*Population of Norse settlers. Due to the Little Ice Age the 12th century settlement had died out by 1500. The only people in the Greenland area at this time were the Inuit (population numbers unknown)
Ethnicity and Religion %
|
|
Danish + Other European |
Inuit |
Animist |
Christian Lutheran |
Christian Other |
Agnostic, Atheist |
|
1900 |
|
|
10.0 |
90.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
1940 |
2.6 |
97.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
1970 |
15.0 |
85.0 |
1.0 |
|
|
0.2 |
|
1990 |
20.0 |
80.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
2000 |
11.0 |
89.0 |
|
80.0 |
|
|
|
2013 |
12.0 |
88.0 |
|
95.5 |
0.6 |
2.5 |
Birth and death rates Below replacement rate = 2.1
|
|
Fertility Rate |
Birth Rate |
Infant Mortality |
Death Rate |
% Aged Under 15 |
% Aged Over 65 |
% Urban |
|
1948 |
|
|
|
25.5 |
|
|
|
|
1952 |
|
44.0 (+25.0) |
120.0 |
19.0 |
|
|
|
|
1962 |
|
47.0 (+38.0) |
|
9.0 |
|
|
61.4 |
|
1965 |
|
|
70.1 |
|
|
|
66.1 |
|
1972 |
|
43.0 (+37.0) |
|
6.0 |
46.0 |
|
73.7 |
|
1980 |
2.4 |
28.0 (+20.4) |
|
7.6 |
|
|
76.1 |
|
1990 |
2.4 |
23.0 (+14.6) |
|
8.4 |
|
|
79.7 |
|
1996 |
2.5 |
18.8 (+10.9) |
24.0 |
7.9 |
|
|
81.1 |
|
2000 |
2.3 |
16.6 (+8.6) |
18.3 |
8.0 |
|
|
81.6 |
|
2003 |
2.4 |
15.5 (+8.3) |
16.8 |
7.2 |
25.9 |
5.8 |
82.3 |
|
2010 |
2.2 |
14.7 (+5.6) |
10.3 |
9.0 |
23.0 |
6.9 |
84.4 |
|
2014 |
2.1 |
14.5 (+6.3) |
9.4 |
8.2 |
21.5 |
8.3 |
86.0 |
|
2015 |
2.0 |
15.2 (+6.7) |
|
8.5 |
|
|
86.4 |
|
2017 |
2.1 |
15.2 (+6.3) |
|
8.9 |
|
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
86.8 |
Life expectancy,
52.5 (1965); 51.4 (M), 53.6 (F)
63.5 (1980); 60.0 (M), 67.2 (F)
65.1 (1990); 62.0 (M), 68.9 (F)
67.0 (2000); 64.3 (M), 70.0 (F)
70.9 (2010); 68.5 (M), 73.3 (F)
71.8 (2013); 69.7 (M), 74.1 (F)
Population of principal cities
NUUK (Godthaab). The name Godthaab meant �good hope� in old Danish.
1,313 (1930)
1,528 (1942)
3,179 (1960)
7,200 (1970)
9,423 (1980)
12,426 (1990)
13,445 (2000)
14,719 (2007)
18,040 (2016)
Wealth; Gross Domestic Product (nominal values)
|
|
GDP, US$ million |
Total GDP, % of USA |
GDP per capita, US$ |
GDP per capita % of USA |
|
1970 |
70 |
0.01 |
1,500 |
28.59 |
|
1975 |
211 |
0.01 |
4,260 |
54.48 |
|
1980 |
476 |
0.02 |
9,500 |
75.41 |
|
1985 |
413 |
0.01 |
7,760 |
42.48 |
|
1990 |
1,018 |
0.02 |
18,325 |
76.50 |
|
1995 |
1,210 |
0.02 |
21,665 |
72.05 |
|
2000 |
1,068 |
0.01 |
19,000 |
52.13 |
|
2005 |
1,656 |
0.01 |
29,100 |
65.68 |
|
2010 |
2,306 |
0.02 |
40,500 |
83.72 |
|
2015 |
2,551 |
0.01 |
45,300 |
80.59 |
|
2016 |
2,220 |
0.01 |
39,600 |
68.91 |
GDP by primary sector
|
|
Agriculture % GDP |
Agriculture % employed |
Industry % GDP |
Industry % employed |
Services % GDP |
Services % employed |
|
1990 |
|
14.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
2007 |
4.9 |
|
31.9 |
|
63.2 |
|
|
2015 |
|
15.9 |
|
10.1 |
|
73.9 |
|
2016 |
15.9 |
|
10.1 |
|
73.9 |
|
Communications
Language Official, Kalaallisut (Greenlandic), also Danish
Literacy, 99.9% (2010 and subsequent years)
Physical communications � roads
|
|
Roads (km) |
Surfaced (km) |
Motor vehicles |
Cars |
Commercial Vehicles |
|
1970 |
170* |
60* |
|
|
|
|
1997 |
|
|
3,646 |
1,790 |
1,478 |
|
1999 |
|
|
4,026 |
2,226 |
1,332 |
|
2003 |
|
|
4,842 |
2,974 |
1,389 |
|
2010 |
|
|
5,855 |
3,621 |
1,503 |
|
2014 |
|
|
5,877 |
3,958 |
1,339 |
*These are entirely suburban roads. There are no roads (2015) between the towns of Greenland, all transport being by sea or air.
Railways; None
Electronic communications TV broadcasts began 1958
|
|
Telephones (landlines) |
Mobile Telephones |
Radios |
Televisions |
PCs |
Internet Users |
|
1938 |
7,800 |
|
90 |
|
|
|
|
1944 |
|
|
150 |
10,000 |
|
|
|
1980 |
9,600 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1990 |
16,600 |
|
24,000 |
12,000 |
|
|
|
1992 |
|
171 |
|
|
|
|
|
1995 |
|
2,052 |
|
|
6,000 |
|
|
1997 |
|
|
27,000 |
22,000 |
|
1,462 |
|
2000 |
26,200 |
15,977 |
|
|
|
17,800 |
|
2005 |
|
32,300 |
|
|
|
41,000 |
|
2010 |
22,000 |
57,300 |
|
|
|
52,000 |
|
2014 |
13,736 |
62,005 |
|
|
|
|
Tourism: Visitors to Greenland, (number of nights stayed in hotels per year)
181,043 (1997)
190,755 (2004)
216,141 (2010)
209,715 (2014)