Population to increase by a third by 2065

Iceland’s population is expected to increase by a third over the next fifty years, according to new forecasts from Statistics Iceland.

Migration in and out of Iceland and natural population growth are predicted to raise Iceland’s population from 329,100 today to 437,000 by 2065 – an increase of 32.7%.

The forecasts are based on statistical models for migration, fertility and mortality. For instance, life expectancy is set to rise from 83.5 years in 2014 to 88.5 years in 2065 for women and from 79.5 to 84.3 years for men.

The figure of 437,000 is the ‘medium projection variant’. Depending on developments in the various factors affecting population growth, Iceland’s inhabitants could number as few as 372,000 (+17.5%) or as many as 513,000 (+55.9%).

Even if Iceland’s population does increase as predicted to 437,000 in 2065, the country will still be one of the least densely populated on the planet, with just 4.25 inhabitants/km².

By way of contrast, another island national with a similar population to Iceland – the Bahamas – currently has a population density of over 25 inhabitants/km².