Self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark
Self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own parliament and government responsible for most domestic matters. Defense and foreign policy remain primarily matters for the Kingdom.
National Identity
- Official name
- Faroe Islands
- Official name (in Faroese)
- Føroyar
- Official name (in Danish)
- Færøerne
- Name etymology
the archipelago's name derives from the Old Norse name Faeroyar, meaning "sheep islands;" faer means "sheep," and -oyar means "islands"
Sources:- The Constitutional Status of the Faroe Islands ↗ - The Government of the Faroe Islands
- The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
- National anthem
- Mítt alfagra land1:10
- Title (in Faroese)
- Mítt alfagra land
- Title (in English, translated)
- My Fairest Land
- Unofficial title (in Faroese)
- Tú alfagra land mítt
- Unofficial title (in English, translated)
- Thou Fairest Land of Mine
- Lyrics
1Tú alfagra land mítt, mín dýrasta orn! á vetri so randhvítt, á sumri við logn, tú tekur meg at tær so tætt í tín favn. Tit oyggjar so mætar, Gud signi tað navn, sum menn tykkum góvu, tá teir tykkum sóu. Ja, Gud signi Føroyar, mítt land!
2Hin roðin, sum skínur á sumri í líð, hin ódnin, sum týnir mangt lív vetrartíð, og myrkrið, sum fjalir mær bjartasta mál, og ljósið, sum spælir mær sigur í sál: alt streingir, ið tóna, sum vága og vóna, at eg verji Føroyar, mítt land.
3Eg nígi tí niður í bøn til tín, Gud: Hin heilagi friður mær falli í lut! Lat sál mína tváa sær í tíni dýrd! So torir hon vága – av Gudi væl skírd – at bera tað merkið, sum eyðkennir verkið, ið varðveitir Føroyar, mítt land!
- Citizens
- Faroese
- Official name:The Constitutional Status of the Faroe Islands ↗ - The Government of the Faroe Islands
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
- National anthem:Recording credit
Geography
- Location
- Total area
- 1,393 km²
- Land area
- 1,393 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Land borders
- None
- Coastline
- 1,117 km
- Terrain
Rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast - Highest point
- 882 mSlaettaratindur
- Lowest point
- 0 mAtlantic Ocean
- Climate
Mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy - Avg. temperature
- 7.1 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 6 to 8.2 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 1,122 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 6 4.8 3.5 123 February 5.6 4.4 3 101 March 5.8 4.6 3.3 101 April 6.7 5.5 4.2 78 May 8 6.9 5.7 66 June 9.7 8.8 7.7 56 July 11.3 10.4 9.4 63 August 11.7 10.8 9.8 74 September 10.8 9.9 8.9 96 October 9 8 6.9 118 November 7.4 6.2 5 120 December 6.3 5 3.7 126 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Pasture70.1%Other29.8%
- Arable land
- 70 hectares (0.1%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 96,000 hectares (70.1%)
- Forest
- 80 hectares (0.1%)
- Other land
- 40,850 hectares (29.8%)
Source:
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +0.94% per year+524 people/yearWorld Rank104thof 237
- Birth rate
- 12.8 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 9.6 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +5.5 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 37.1 yearsWorld Rank91stof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years19.8%15-64 years62.4%65 years +17.8%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 17.8%
- Share aged under 18
- 23.7%
- Total dependency ratio
- 60
- Youth dependency ratio
- 32
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 29
- Sex ratio
- 1.07 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 2.0% 2.5% 70-79 4.0% 4.1% 60-69 5.6% 5.4% 50-59 6.4% 5.6% 40-49 6.2% 5.6% 30-39 6.7% 6.0% 20-29 7.1% 6.2% 10-19 6.8% 6.5% 0-9 6.7% 6.4% - 2026
- 0.09 above the replacement level for the Faroe Islands ()2.19 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank93rdof 237
- 1.05 daughters per woman0.05 above replacement, long-run each generation larger than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +3.2 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 3.2 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +5.5 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 39.9% live in cities22,547 urban residents
- Largest places2026
- Tórshavn, Klaksvík, Hoyvík, ArgirRankPlacePopulation (2026 estimate)1Tórshavn14,2172Klaksvík5,1413Hoyvík4,7014Argir2,6145Fuglafjørður1,6306Vágur1,3277Vestmanna1,2578Saltangará1,2459Sørvágur1,15710Miðvágur1,137Source:
- Statistics Faroe Islands (2026 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- The island of Streymoy is by far the most populous with over 40% of the population; it has approximately twice as many inhabitants as Eysturoy, the second most populous island; seven of the inhabited islands have fewer than 100 people.
- Ethnic groups2024
- Figures count country of birth, not ethnicity.Faroese83.8%Danish8.3%Filipino1.2%Other Nordic0.9%Other4.5%
Faroese are of Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon descent.Other includes Polish and Romanian.
Source:- The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- Religions2011
- Christian87.0%Other0.9%None3.7%Unspecified8.9%
Christians are predominantly Evangelical Lutheran.
Source:- The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- Languages
- Faroese (Føroyskt), Danish (Dansk)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Statistics Faroe Islands (2026 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyShared with Denmark: the Danish monarch is head of state.Under the Home Rule Act the Faroes are "a self-governing nation within the Danish State"; Denmark's Constitutional Act, which applies to all parts of the Kingdom, makes the form a limited monarchy with royal power inherited (Home Rule Act s. 1; Grundlov §§ 1, 2).Sources:
- Act No. 11 of 31st March 1948 on the Home Government of the Faroe Islands (Home Rule Act), English text ↗, Home Rule Act s. 1; Grundlov §§ 1, 2
- Danmarks Riges Grundlov (Grundloven), LOV nr 169 af 05/06/1953 ↗, Home Rule Act s. 1; Grundlov §§ 1, 2
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe Løgting (parliament) establishes the Government (Landsstýri), which holds executive powers over Faroese special affairs; the Home Rule Act has no confidence, censure or dissolution provisions, dissolution being governed by Faroese law (ss. 1, 4).
- Official websites
- Capital
- Tórshavn23,422 people(2025)
- National holidays
- 14 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- ThuApr 2Maundy Thursday
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- SunApr 5Easter Sunday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- FriMay 1Great Prayer Day
- ThuMay 14Ascension Day
- SunMay 24Pentecost
- MonMay 25Pentecost Monday
- WedJul 29Saint Olaf's Day
- ThuDec 24Christmas Eve
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Second Day of Christmas
- ThuDec 31New Year's Eve
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- Currency
- Danish Krone (DKK)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +298
- Internet TLD
- .fo
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- FO, FRO
- Infrastructure
- Heliports
- 12
- Aircraft registration prefix
- OY-H
Source:- The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- Flag carrier
- Atlantic AirwaysState-owned
- Form of state, System of government:Act No. 11 of 31st March 1948 on the Home Government of the Faroe Islands (Home Rule Act), English text ↗ - Government of the Faroe Islands
- Form of state, System of government:Danmarks Riges Grundlov (Grundloven), LOV nr 169 af 05/06/1953 ↗ - Retsinformation (Danish state legal information)
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Economy
- High income
- 2024
- Services53.8% of GDPIndustry18.3% of GDPAgriculture16.1% of GDPManufacturing9.5%part of industry
- Households
- +40.6%
- Government
- +27.9%
- Investment
- +28.2%
- Exports
- +54.6%
- Imports
- −51.2%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Trade2017
- Russia26.4%
- United Kingdom14.1%
- Germany8.4%
- China7.9%
- Spain6.8%
- Denmark6.2%
- United States4.7%
- Poland4.4%
- Norway4.1%
Source:- The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- Agricultural products2024
- Edible offal of sheep (fresh or chilled or frozen), Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs, Meat of sheep (fresh or chilled), and 2 more
- 1Edible offal of sheep (fresh or chilled or frozen)67.5×
- 2Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs66.3×
- 3Meat of sheep (fresh or chilled)63.7×
- 4Raw milk of cattle10.6×
- 5Potatoes4.6×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- fishing, fish processing, tourism, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts
- Income level, GDP by sector:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
Society
- Internet users2017latest available
- 97.6% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 50%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2017latest available
- 56,619
- Fixed telephone lines
- 18,021
- Fixed broadband
- 35.9 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Official tourism site
- Official tourism site
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
Crime & Safety
- Prison population2020
- 20.9 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 11
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 80.8 years
- Infant mortality2026
- 5.1 per 1,000 live births
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 0 Mt per yearup 0.7 percent on the previous year0.7% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 0 t per personWorld Rank207thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 0.04 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.05 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 0.1 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 2.5 µg/m³ of PM2.5Most polluted216thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- coastal erosion, landslides and rockfalls, flash flooding, wind storms
- oil spills
- International agreements
- 0 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 3 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement not a party UN Framework Convention on Climate Change not a party Kyoto Protocol not a party Ozone layer Montreal Protocol not a party Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) not a party Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity not a party CITES not a party Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety not a party Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands not a party World Heritage Convention not a party UN Convention to Combat Desertification not a party Chemicals and waste Basel Convention not a party Rotterdam Convention (PIC) not a party Stockholm Convention (POPs) not a party Minamata Convention on Mercury not a party Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea not a party High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Faroe Islands - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- Renewable water2022
- 0 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 0 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 0% originates outside the country
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- 0.01 EJ per yeartotal primary energy
- Per capita
- 232.8 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 6.6% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- No electricity trade0.5 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 0.5 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 0.5 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- No domestic productionconsumes 5,288 b/d in 2024Consumption20245,288 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration