According to the latest data from Statistics Iceland, there are now over 362,000 people living in the country, the vast majority in and around Reykjavík. Men outnumber women by nearly 10,000 and, despite a cooling economy, immigration continues at a steady clip, Fréttablaðið and Kjarninn report.
The population of Iceland increase by 2,470 in the third quarter of 2019, taking the total population to 362,860. Broken down by binary genders, 186,220 men and 176,640 women were counted at the end of September—which will hopefully disabuse anyone of the idea that the country is experiencing a shortage of men that would prompt a non-existent government policy to amend this.
Of the total population, 232,070 people live in or around Reykjavík, vastly outnumbering the rural population.
Immigrants to Iceland outnumbered emigration from the country by 1,560 people. Most Icelanders leaving the country moved to somewhere in Scandinavia, with Denmark being the most popular choice, while most immigrants to the country came from Poland.
In fact, the total number of immigrants to Iceland during the third quarter was 1,920, taking the grand total to 48,640. This is especially striking in light of the negative impact that the sudden bankruptcy of WOW Air last March had on the economy, and the projected 0.2% decrease in the GNP this year.
Most immigrants to Iceland, 20,570, live in Reykjavík, so that immigrants now comprise 15.7% of the total population of Iceland’s capital. In fact, immigrant percentages can vary wildly from one town to another—for example, while immigrants only comprise 4.7% of Garðabær residents, they also comprise 25.6% of the residents of Reykjanesbær, only 20 minutes’ drive away.
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