Most Icelanders With Positive Outlook Towards Immigrants

If you have newly moved to Iceland or are considering doing so, it may please you to learn that a significant majority of Icelanders will be ready to welcome you.

According to a new poll conducted by the Social Science department of the University of Iceland, Icelanders have a decidedly positive outlook towards immigrants. The poll reached an even distribution of Icelanders across gender, age, location and education. The response rate was 65%.

Of those who responded, about 60% said their believed immigrants have a positive effect on Icelandic society, while only 18% believed they had a negative impact. 22% believed the effect of immigrants on society was negligible. Those who had any connections to actual immigrants in Iceland were more likely to view them positively.

When asked if immigration should be increased, decreased, or kept at the same level, 36% said they believed Iceland should have more immigrants; 30% said immigration should remain steady, and 34% said it should be reduced.

Immigration has been on the rise in Iceland and, according to data from Statistics Iceland, 8.9% of the population hails from abroad.