Iceland Demographics

Population of Iceland (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Iceland

Iceland Population
402,329
see live
Yearly Change
+1.02%
Global Share
< 0.01%
Global Rank
179

Median Age

The median age in Iceland is 36.6 years (2026).

Fertility in Iceland

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.49
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Iceland

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
83.3
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
84.7
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
82.0
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Iceland


Infant Mortality
1.1
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
1.5
(per 1,000 live births)


Iceland Urban Population

Currently, 94.3% of the population of Iceland is urban (379,229 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Iceland is 4 people per km² (10 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 100,250 km² (38,707 sq. miles).

Largest Localities in Iceland

The 30 largest of 43 localities, ranked by population estimates for January 1, 2026 (by Statistics Iceland).

RankLocalityPopulation
1ReykjavíkStór-Reykjavík247,162
2Keflavík og Njarðvík22,572
3Akureyri20,467
4Selfoss11,066
5Akranes8,607
6Vestmannaeyjar4,518
7Hveragerði3,353
8Álftanes2,916
9Ísafjörður2,807
10Egilsstaðir2,719
11Sauðárkrókur2,672
12Húsavík2,403
13Þorlákshöfn2,316
14Borgarnes2,250
15Sandgerði2,188
16Garður2,006
17Vogar1,818
18Höfn í Hornafirði1,813
19Neskaupstaður1,478
20Reyðarfjörður1,470
21Dalvík1,385
22Stykkishólmur1,218
23Hvolsvöllur1,181
24Siglufjörður1,159
25Hella1,083
26Eskifjörður1,063
27Bolungarvík985
28Ólafsvík978
29Blönduós853
30Grindavík→ due to volcanic eruptions, the town was evacuated several times817
See all 43 localities in Iceland

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.