How many people live in Iceland right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
403,437
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 179 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.0048%
- Median age
- 36.6 years
- Children per woman
- 1.49
- Life expectancy
- 83.3 years
- People per km²
- 4
According to UN estimates, about 403,437 people live in Iceland right now. It ranks 179th out of 237 countries and territories by population, between the Bahamas and Guadeloupe, and it is home to one in every 20,600 people on the planet.
Every day, about 12 people are born there and about 7 die. More people arrive than leave: net migration adds about 2,000 people a year. Overall, the population grows by about 10 people a day (0.92% a year).
In 1950, about 142,667 people lived there. Today there are 2.8 times as many. The UN expects it to peak around 2049, at about 432,998, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 432,993 people (7% more than today), and by 2100 about 362,582.
Half of its people are younger than 37 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 1.49 children each, below the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 83 years (worldwide, 74). There are 4 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Iceland in 2026?
- Iceland has about 403,437 people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 402,329.
- How many people are born each day in Iceland?
- About 12 a day (4,300 a year). About 7 people die each day (2,700 a year).
- Is the population of Iceland growing?
- Yes: it grows by 0.92% a year, or about 3,700 people.
- What will the population of Iceland be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 432,993, with a peak around 2049 at about 432,998.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
More countries in Europe
- Russia 143,283,434
- Germany 83,580,385
- United Kingdom 70,045,968
- France 66,775,474
- Italy 58,850,895
- Spain 47,835,423
- Ukraine 39,443,586
- Poland 37,796,208
- Romania 18,766,007
- Netherlands 18,476,987
- Belgium 11,779,073
- Sweden 10,713,760
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.