In this article, we will explore in depth the topic of Demographics of the Faroe Islands, a concept that has captured the attention of academics, professionals and the general public in recent years. From its origins to its current relevance, we will analyze how Demographics of the Faroe Islands has impacted various areas of society and how it has influenced the way we relate, think and act. Likewise, we will address different research, opinions and perspectives around Demographics of the Faroe Islands, with the aim of providing a comprehensive and enriching vision of this phenomenon. Get ready to embark on a journey of discovery and reflection about Demographics of the Faroe Islands!
A 2004 DNA analysis revealed that Y chromosomes, tracing male descent, are 87% Scandinavian. The studies show that mitochondrial DNA, tracing female descent, is 84% Scottish/Irish.
Of the approximately 48,000 inhabitants of the Faroe Islands (16,921 private households (2004)), 98% are Danish realm citizens, meaning Faroese, Danish, or Greenlandic. By birthplace one can derive the following origins of the inhabitants: born on the Faroes 91.7%, in Denmark 5.8%, and in Greenland 0.3%. The largest group of foreigners are Icelanders comprising 0.4% of the population, followed by Norwegians and Poles, each comprising 0.2%. Altogether, on the Faroe Islands there are people from 77 different nationalities. The Faroe Islands have the highest rate of adoption in the world, despite a relatively high fertility rate of 2.6 children.
Faroese is spoken in the entire country as a first language. It is not possible to say exactly how many people worldwide speak the Faroese language.
The 2011 census, called Manntal, shows that 10% were not born in the Faroe Islands, but of these only 3% were born outside the Kingdom of Denmark. 6.5% of people older than 15 did not speak Faroese as their mother tongue. 33 persons said that they did not understand Faroese at all. According to the 2011 census, 45 361 Faroese people (people living in the Faroes) spoke Faroese as their first language and 1546 spoke Danish as their first language.
Vital statistics since 1900
Average population
Live births
Deaths
Natural change
Crude birth rate (per 1000)
Crude death rate (per 1000)
Natural change (per 1000)
Total Fertility Rate
1900
15,000
455
233
222
30.3
15.5
14.8
1901
15,300
457
228
229
29.9
14.9
15.0
1902
15,600
502
217
285
32.2
13.9
18.3
1903
15,900
435
199
236
27.4
12.5
14.8
1904
16,200
489
234
255
30.2
14.4
15.7
1905
16,500
498
296
202
30.2
17.9
12.2
1906
16,700
493
229
264
29.5
13.7
15.8
1907
17,000
479
196
283
28.2
11.5
16.6
1908
17,300
576
182
394
33.3
10.5
22.8
1909
17,600
528
196
332
30.0
11.1
18.9
1910
17,900
576
157
419
32.2
8.8
23.4
1911
18,200
559
164
395
30.7
9.0
21.7
1912
18,600
624
184
440
33.5
9.9
23.7
1913
18,900
650
169
481
34.4
8.9
25.4
1914
19,200
580
182
398
30.2
9.5
20.7
1915
19,600
643
288
355
32.8
14.7
18.1
1916
19,900
636
261
375
32.0
13.1
18.8
1917
20,200
570
240
330
28.2
11.9
16.3
1918
20,600
625
199
426
30.3
9.7
20.7
1919
20,900
607
221
386
29.0
10.6
18.5
1920
21,200
665
227
438
31.4
10.7
20.7
1921
21,500
614
230
384
28.6
10.7
17.9
1922
21,800
668
211
457
30.6
9.7
21.0
1923
22,100
652
255
397
29.5
11.5
18.0
1924
22,400
631
268
363
28.2
12.0
16.2
1925
22,700
599
228
371
26.4
10.0
16.3
1926
23,000
592
199
393
25.7
8.7
17.1
1927
23,300
579
157
422
24.8
6.7
18.1
1928
23,600
620
194
426
26.3
8.2
18.1
1929
23,900
575
253
322
24.1
10.6
13.5
1930
24,200
633
273
360
26.2
11.3
14.9
1931
24,500
607
239
368
24.8
9.8
15.0
1932
24,700
604
210
394
24.5
8.5
16.0
1933
25,000
545
248
297
21.8
9.9
11.9
1934
25,300
578
231
347
22.8
9.1
13.7
1935
25,600
585
269
316
22.9
10.5
12.3
1936
25,900
565
265
300
21.8
10.2
11.6
1937
26,200
615
212
403
23.5
8.1
15.4
1938
26,600
617
241
376
23.2
9.1
14.1
1939
26,900
577
182
395
21.4
6.8
14.7
1940
27,300
698
228
470
25.6
8.4
17.2
1941
27,600
690
286
404
25.0
10.4
14.6
1942
28,000
721
250
471
25.8
8.9
16.8
1943
28,300
804
235
569
28.4
8.3
20.1
1944
28,700
732
247
485
25.5
8.6
16.9
1945
29,000
718
247
471
24.8
8.5
16.2
1946
29,000
708
248
460
24.4
8.6
15.9
1947
30,000
742
242
500
24.7
8.1
16.7
1948
30,000
821
227
595
27.4
7.6
19.8
1949
31,000
876
256
626
28.3
8.3
20.2
1950
31,000
856
282
585
27.6
9.1
18.9
1951
31,000
857
229
628
27.6
7.4
20.3
1952
32,000
809
240
569
25.3
7.5
17.8
1953
33,000
758
228
530
23.0
6.9
16.1
1954
33,000
757
248
509
22.9
7.5
15.4
1955
32,000
749
221
528
23.4
6.9
16.5
1956
33,000
767
239
528
23.2
7.2
16.0
1957
33,000
746
268
478
22.6
8.1
14.5
1958
34,000
845
226
619
24.9
6.6
18.2
1959
34,000
856
242
614
25.2
7.1
18.1
1960
34,000
764
274
490
22.5
8.1
14.4
1961
35,000
781
206
575
22.3
5.9
16.4
1962
36,000
800
234
566
22.2
6.5
15.7
1963
36,000
848
242
606
23.6
6.7
16.8
1964
36,000
857
253
604
23.8
7.0
16.8
1965
37,000
889
261
628
24.0
7.1
17.0
1966
37,000
969
262
707
26.2
7.1
19.1
1967
38,000
956
289
667
25.2
7.6
17.6
1968
38,000
878
262
616
23.1
6.9
16.2
1969
38,300
843
269
574
22.0
7.0
15.0
1970
38,700
814
287
527
21.0
7.4
13.6
3.42
1971
38,700
779
308
471
20.1
8.0
12.2
3.22
1972
38,900
798
267
531
20.5
6.9
13.7
3.26
1973
39,400
808
303
505
20.5
7.7
12.8
3.22
1974
40,100
798
303
495
19.9
7.6
12.3
3.07
1975
40,800
781
280
501
19.1
6.9
12.3
2.90
1976
41,300
756
291
465
18.3
7.0
11.3
2.74
1977
41,800
759
271
488
18.2
6.5
11.7
2.68
1978
42,400
742
303
439
17.5
7.1
10.4
2.60
1979
43,000
790
269
521
18.4
6.3
12.1
2.70
1980
43,400
741
309
432
17.1
7.1
10.0
2.46
1981
43,800
753
293
460
17.2
6.7
10.5
2.47
1982
44,200
726
316
410
16.4
7.1
9.3
2.35
1983
44,500
688
361
327
15.5
8.1
7.4
2.16
1984
45,000
695
350
345
15.4
7.8
7.6
2.17
1985
45,500
740
340
400
16.3
7.5
8.8
2.28
1986
46,000
791
370
421
17.2
8.1
9.1
2.41
1987
46,600
782
372
410
16.8
8.0
8.8
2.36
1988
47,300
870
424
446
18.4
9.0
9.4
2.57
1989
47,700
932
374
558
19.5
7.8
11.7
2.71
1990
47,600
947
359
588
19.9
7.5
12.4
2.80
1991
47,400
866
398
468
18.3
8.4
9.9
2.63
1992
47,100
809
400
409
17.2
8.5
8.7
2.52
1993
46,100
762
385
377
16.6
8.4
8.2
2.51
1994
44,500
667
354
313
15.0
8.0
7.0
2.39
1995
43,600
644
365
279
14.8
8.4
6.4
2.46
1996
43,600
675
395
280
15.5
9.1
6.4
2.58
1997
44,000
665
377
288
15.1
8.6
6.5
2.51
1998
44,500
625
377
248
14.0
8.5
5.5
2.34
1999
45,100
626
401
225
13.9
8.9
5.0
2.33
2000
46,022
692
354
338
15.1
7.7
7.4
2.58
2001
46,867
632
360
272
13.6
7.7
5.9
2.34
2002
47,558
709
392
317
15.0
8.3
6.7
2.56
2003
48,118
705
405
300
14.7
8.5
6.2
2.54
2004
48,301
713
380
333
14.8
7.9
6.9
2.59
2005
48,106
711
417
294
14.7
8.6
6.1
2.64
2006
48,269
662
417
245
13.7
8.7
5.0
2.50
2007
48,311
675
381
294
14.0
7.9
6.1
2.57
2008
48,637
667
383
284
13.8
7.9
5.9
2.58
2009
48,530
614
386
228
12.6
8.0
4.6
2.38
2010
48,489
642
349
293
13.2
7.2
6.0
2.51
2011
48,256
581
385
196
12.0
8.0
4.0
2.31
2012
48,030
619
408
211
12.9
8.5
4.4
2.57
2013
48,126
626
364
262
13.0
7.6
5.4
2.54
2014
48,591
639
394
245
13.2
8.1
5.1
2.56
2015
49,100
608
377
231
12.4
7.7
4.7
2.43
2016
49,796
675
379
296
13.6
7.7
5.9
2.63
2017
50,466
656
447
209
13.1
8.9
4.2
2.48
2018
51,279
684
394
290
13.4
7.7
5.7
2.50
2019
52,111
683
411
272
13.2
8.0
5.2
2.41
2020
52,925
678
366
312
12.9
7.0
5.9
2.32
2021
53,676
683
429
254
12.8
8.1
4.7
2.29
2022
54,200
631
487
144
11.6
9.0
2.6
2.11
2023
54,320
577
406
171
10.6
7.5
3.1
1.93(e)
Current vital statistics
Period
Live births
Deaths
Natural increase
January-February 2023
96
84
+12
January-February 2024
85
69
+16
Difference
-11 (-11.45%)
-15 (-17.86%)
+4
Structure of the population
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2021):
Age Group
Male
Female
Total
%
Total
27 631
25 752
53 383
100
0–4
1 869
1 822
3 691
6.91
5–9
1 864
1 756
3 620
6.78
10–14
1 847
1 829
3 676
6.89
15–19
1 952
1 758
3 710
6.95
20–24
1 758
1 435
3 193
5.98
25–29
1 594
1 379
2 973
5.57
30–34
1 816
1 681
3 497
6.55
35–39
1 661
1 462
3 123
5.85
40–44
1 714
1 552
3 266
6.12
45–49
1 828
1 515
3 343
6.26
50–54
1 793
1 615
3 408
6.38
55–59
1 770
1 622
3 392
6.35
60–64
1 532
1 497
3 029
5.67
65-69
1 373
1 301
2 674
5.01
70-74
1 278
1 218
2 496
4.68
75-79
989
929
1 918
3.59
80-84
544
622
1 166
2.18
85-89
300
428
728
1.36
90-94
131
254
385
0.72
95-99
17
71
88
0.16
100+
1
6
7
0.01
Age group
Male
Female
Total
Percent
0–14
5 580
5 407
10 987
20.58
15–64
17 418
15 516
32 934
61.69
65+
4 633
4 829
9 462
17.72
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Age structure
0–14 years: 19.89% (male 5,214/female 4,878)
15–24 years: 14.34% (male 3,738/female 3,538)
25–54 years: 37.31% (male 10,252/female 8,676)
55–64 years: 11.69% (male 3,054/female 2,878)
65 years and over: 16.76% (male 4,111/female 4,391) (2017 est.)
According to the Faroese census of 2011, here is the breakdown of people in the Faroe Islands by language:
Faroese: 45,361 (93.9%)
Danish: 1,546 (3.2%)
Other Scandinavian languages, including Icelandic: 411 (0.9%)
Other European languages: 607 (1.3%)
Asian languages: 290 (0.6%)
Languages from the Middle East and North Africa: 40 (0.1%)
Other African languages: 31 (0.1%)
Sign language: 18 (0.04%)
No language: 41 (0.08%)
The percentages have been calculated based on the total number of respondents, which was 48,345 residents of the Faroe Islands who were asked to reply to the questions in November 2011.
Literacy
definition:
NA
total population:
NA%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
note:
similar to Denmark proper
^Jorgensen, Tove H.; Buttenschön, Henriette N.; Wang, August G.; Als, Thomas D.; Børglum, Anders D.; Ewald, Henrik (June 2004). "The origin of the isolated population of the Faroe Islands investigated using Y chromosomal markers". Human Genetics. 115 (1): 19–28. doi:10.1007/s00439-004-1117-7. ISSN0340-6717. PMID15083358. S2CID6040039.
^Wang, C. August. 2006. Ílegur og Føroya Søga. In: Frøði pp.20–23