New figures published by the National Registry of Iceland show that the number of foreign residents in Iceland is roughly the same as it was two years ago.
The research reveals that around 14% of people living in Iceland in December 2020 were foreign citizens, almost exactly the same proportion as indicated by data gathered in January 2019. The proportion of foreign citizens resident in the capital region roughly matches the national average, but elsewhere in Iceland the picture varies.
In the Westfjords municipality of Árneshreppur, the single foreigner who resides there comprises about 2.5 % of the population. However in Mýrdalshreppur – the area around popular tourist attraction Vík – the figure is 47.3%, which is the highest in the country.
The region of Iceland where foreign citizens form the greatest percentage of the populace is Suðurnes, (the area around Keflavík Airport), where 23.4% of the population is from overseas. The region with the lowest percentage is the northeast, where foreigners make up only 8.2% of residents.
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