Page
last modified 18 August 2023
110) Iceland
Community
Area 102,819 square kilometres (land area 100,250 square kilometres).
Population,
Ca. 100? (800) (1)
30,000+ (950) (1)
75,000 (1120)
50,000 (1430) (2)
50,358 (1703)
44,845 (1792)
47,240 (1801) (3)
57,094 (1840)
59,157 (1850)
64,603 (1855)
72,422 (1881)
70,927 (1891) (4)
76,237 (1898)
78,470 (1901)
103,500 (1930)
121,474 (1940) +17.3%
143,973 (1950) +18.5%
175,680 (1960) +22.0%
204,578 (1970) +16.4%
228,000 (1980) +11.4%
255,000 (1990) +11.8%
280,000 (2000) +9.8%
318,000 (2010) +13.6%
366,400 (2020) +15.2%
(1) Before 800, only a few Irish hermits lived in Iceland. Viking settlement began after they discovered the island in the 800s, rising to over 30,000 by the year 950.
(2) Population reduced after The Plague in 1402-04.
(3) Widespread famine and emigration after the Laki volcanic eruption of 1783
(4) Considerable emigration to America in late 19th century. The population increased by a net 31,000 over the 19th century, but between 1872 and 1900 alone some 15,600 Icelanders emigrated to North America, especially to Manitoba.
Ethnicity and Religion, %, Iceland adopted Christianity in 1000 AD
|
|
Icelandic |
Polish |
Christian Lutheran |
No Religion |
|
1900 |
|
|
99.8 |
0.1 |
|
1940 |
99.1 |
|
|
|
|
1970 |
98.6(1) |
|
97.3 |
1.6 |
|
1980 |
|
|
93.2 |
|
|
1990 |
|
|
92.5 |
7.0 |
|
2001 |
98.0 |
|
|
|
|
2010 |
94.0 |
|
85.5 |
|
|
2016 |
92.0 |
3.6 |
69.9 |
|
1) The remaining 1.4% were either Danish or US military
Birth and death rates Below replacement rate = 2.1
|
|
Fertility Rate |
Birth Rate |
Infant Mortality |
Death Rate |
% Aged Under 15 |
% Aged Over 65 |
% Urban |
|
1835 |
|
38.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1855 |
|
|
23.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
1900 |
|
29.1 (+11.7) |
|
17.4 |
|
|
|
|
1925 |
|
|
|
12.7 |
|
|
|
|
1940 |
|
22.0 |
|
|
|
|
61.3 |
|
1952 |
|
28.0 (+20.0) |
21.0 |
8.0 |
30.8 |
7.7 |
61.0 |
|
1960 |
4.3 |
27.0 (+20.4) |
17.5 |
6.6 |
34.9 |
8.0 |
80.3 |
|
1970 |
2.8 |
19.0 (+12.0) |
13.0 |
7.0 |
32.6 |
8.8 |
84.9 |
|
1980 |
2.5 |
20.0 (+13.2) |
8.0 |
6.8 |
27.5 |
9.9 |
88.3 |
|
1990 |
2.3 |
19.0 (+12.3) |
5.0 |
6.7 |
24.8 |
10.7 |
90.8 |
|
2000 |
2.1 |
14.3 (+7.8) |
3.2 |
6.5 |
23.2 |
11.6 |
92.4 |
|
2010 |
2.2 |
15.0 (+8.6) |
2.0 |
6.4 |
20.8 |
12.0 |
93.6 |
|
2015 |
1.8 |
12.5 (+5.9) |
1.7 |
6.6 |
20.3 |
13.7 |
93.7 |
|
2017 |
1.7 |
11.9 (+5.4) |
1.6 |
6.5 |
|
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
1.5 |
|
19.8 |
14.8 |
93.8 |
Life
expectancy,
58.7 (1926): 56.2 (M), 61.0 (F)
72.0 (1952); 70.0 (M), 74.0 (F)
73.4 (1960); 71.1 (M), 75.8 (F)
73.9 (1970), 70.7 (M), 77.3 (F)
76.8 (1980); 73.5 (M), 80.4 (F)
78.0 (1990); 75.5 (M), 80.7 (F)
79.7 (2000); 77.8 (M), 81.6 (F)
81.9 (2010); 79.8 (M), 84.1 (F)
83.1 (2020); 81.6 (M), 84.5 (F)
Population of principal cities, 1,000s
|
|
Akureyri |
Hafnarfjorour |
Kopavogur |
REYKJAVIK1 |
|
1786 |
|
|
|
0.2 |
|
1801 |
|
|
|
0.3 |
|
1880 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
1900 |
|
|
|
5.8 |
|
1910 |
1 |
|
|
6.7 |
|
1940 |
6 |
4 |
|
38 |
|
1945 |
6 |
4 |
|
47 |
|
1951 |
|
|
|
57.5 |
|
1959 |
9 |
7 |
6 |
71 |
|
1968 |
10 |
9 |
11 |
80 |
|
1985 |
14 |
13 |
14 |
90 |
|
1992 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
98 |
|
2001 |
16 |
20 |
24 |
112 |
|
2005 |
17 |
22 |
26 |
115 |
|
2008 |
17 |
25 |
29 |
119 |
|
2015 |
18 |
28 |
33 |
123 |
1Founded by the Viking settler, Ingolfr Arnarson in 874 AD, Reykjavik became the capital of Iceland in 1918.� The name Reykjavik means �smoky bay�, because of steam from the many geysers there.
Wealth; Gross Domestic Product (nominal values)
|
|
GDP, US$ million |
Total GDP, % of USA |
GDP per capita, US$ |
GDP per capita % of USA |
|
1956 |
218 |
0.06 |
|
|
|
1960 |
248 |
0.05 |
1,415 |
47.06 |
|
1965 |
523 |
0.07 |
2,735 |
71.45 |
|
1970 |
510 |
0.05 |
2,600 |
49.55 |
|
1975 |
1,320 |
0.08 |
6,500 |
83.12 |
|
1980 |
3,370 |
0.12 |
14,717 |
116.82 |
|
1985 |
2,910 |
0.07 |
12,032 |
65.86 |
|
1990 |
6,320 |
0.11 |
24,436 |
102.01 |
|
1995 |
6,980 |
0.09 |
25,686 |
85.43 |
|
2000 |
8,510 |
0.09 |
29,903 |
82.04 |
|
2005 |
16,700 |
0.13 |
56,250 |
126.95 |
|
2010 |
13,250 |
0.09 |
41,676 |
86.15 |
|
2015 |
16,780 |
0.09 |
50,734 |
90.26 |
|
2016 |
20,050 |
0.11 |
59,976 |
104.37 |
GDP by primary sector In 1960, 97% of Iceland�s exports were accounted for by fish.
|
|
Agriculture % GDP |
Agriculture % employed |
Industry % GDP |
Industry % employed |
Services % GDP |
Services % employed |
|
1850 |
|
89.0* |
|
|
|
|
|
1890 |
|
82.0* |
|
|
|
|
|
1900 |
|
77.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1920 |
40.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1940 |
33.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1970 |
14.0 |
17.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1980 |
|
10.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1990 |
13.0 |
11.0 |
27.5 |
27.0 |
52.1 |
62.0 |
|
2010 |
5.5 |
4.8 |
24.7 |
22.2 |
69.9 |
73.0 |
|
2016 |
4.8 |
4.2 |
22.2 |
17.8 |
73.0 |
78.0 |
*Mainly sheep rearing and fishing. 1850, fishing = 7%; 1890, fishing = 18%.
Communications
Language, %, Official; Icelandic
|
|
Icelandic |
Polish |
|
2000 |
100 |
|
|
2008 |
93.2 |
2.7 |
Literacy 99.9% (1985 and after)
Physical communications � roads,
From 1888 many bridges were constructed in Iceland; before this year there were none.
In 1968 Iceland changed from left hand to right hand driving
|
|
Roads (km) |
Surfaced (km) |
Motor vehicles |
Cars |
Commercial Vehicles |
|
1924 |
|
|
|
300 |
|
|
1940 |
4,392 |
|
|
|
|
|
1945 |
|
|
4,889 |
2,488 |
2,401 |
|
1951 |
7,185 |
|
|
6,400 |
4,200 |
|
1956 |
|
|
16,000 |
10,800 |
|
|
1960 |
10,719 |
|
20,256 |
14,553 |
5,703 |
|
1961 |
|
|
|
16,800 |
|
|
1970 |
11,000 |
|
43,896 |
37,568 |
6,038 |
|
1977 |
11,525 |
|
|
65,700 |
6,700 |
|
1980 |
11,525 |
|
95,606 |
87,075 |
8,531 |
|
1990 |
11,900 |
2,600 |
136,148 |
121,803 |
14,845 |
|
2000 |
12,890 |
3,800 |
181,566 |
161,575 |
19,990 |
|
2005 |
|
4,611 |
214,885 |
187,442 |
25,544 |
|
2007 |
|
|
240,551 |
|
|
|
2010 |
|
|
|
204,736 |
30,437 |
|
2012 |
12,890 |
4,782 |
243,000 |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
246,000 |
|
|
|
2014 |
|
|
|
217,454 |
31,464 |
Railways; none
Electronic communications, TV broadcasts began 1966
|
|
Telephones (landlines) |
Mobile Telephones |
Radios |
Televisions |
PCs |
Internet Users |
|
1938 |
|
|
15,400 |
|
|
|
|
1944 |
10,788 |
|
27,339 |
|
|
|
|
1948 |
15,696 |
|
35,000 |
|
|
|
|
1952 |
21,368 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1960 |
37,274 |
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
|
1961 |
42,154 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1968 |
|
|
|
27,331 |
|
|
|
1970 |
60,000 |
|
52,000 |
|
|
|
|
1977 |
|
|
65,000 |
56,000 |
|
|
|
1980 |
84,400 |
|
67,500 |
60,000 |
|
|
|
1986 |
|
2,642 |
|
72,000 |
|
|
|
1990 |
130,400 |
10,010 |
85,000 |
83,000 |
10,000 |
|
|
1995 |
|
30,900 |
95,000 |
95,000 |
55,000 |
|
|
1998 |
|
|
|
|
|
122,000 |
|
2000 |
196,300 |
215,000 |
|
|
110,000 |
150,000 |
|
2005 |
|
304,000 |
|
106,000 |
142,000 |
258,000 |
|
2010 |
204,000 |
349,000 |
|
|
|
303,000 |
|
2016 |
164,566 |
164,566 |
|
|
|
330,000 |
|
2017 |
|
|
|
|
|
334,300 |
Tourism: Visitors to Iceland,
4,000 (1950)
61,000 (1970)
68,000 (1972)
65,921 (1980)
142,000 (1990)
190,000 (1995)
303,000 (2000)
374,000 (2005)
489,000 (2010)
1,289,000 (2015)