Migration trends in Greenland

North America

Greenland loses more people than it takes in: 18.5K emigrants against 5.5K immigrants. Net balance −13K — 23% of the country's population

56.8K

Population

5.5K

Immigrants

18.5K

Emigrants

−13K

Outflow

1 in 10 residents of Greenland was born abroad — and 1 in 4 people born in Greenland lives abroad

#182 in the world by net migration loss

Top corridors

The largest migration flows in Greenland

Where people move to

17.4K93.9%

4702.5%

3111.7%

Where people come from

1Denmark

4.5K80.8%

2Faroe Islands

2694.9%

3Iceland

1572.8%

Immigrants in Greenland

Key moments

How migration has changed since 1990

1990

9.2K immigrants · 10.3K emigrants

1995

Immigration contracted — the foreign-born population fell 24%
The outflow deepened — net losses doubled to 4.4K

Today

Since 1990: roughly the same number of foreign-born residents and roughly the same number of emigrants

Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)

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