MigrantoImmigrants in Iceland
98.3K foreigners live in Iceland — 25% of the country's population
Immigrants in Iceland by country
The 3 largest groups make up 43% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Poland | 31868 |
| Denmark | 5917 |
| Lithuania | 4789 |
| USA | 3932 |
| Sweden | 3559 |
| Philippines | 3449 |
| Germany | 3243 |
| Latvia | 2902 |
| United Kingdom | 2804 |
| Romania | 2529 |
| Thailand | 2265 |
| Norway | 2098 |
| Portugal | 1634 |
| Spain | 1497 |
| Vietnam | 1384 |
| France | 1374 |
| Czech Republic | 1223 |
| Serbia | 1136 |
| China | 1128 |
| Croatia | 1081 |
| Italy | 793 |
| Slovakia | 781 |
| Bulgaria | 778 |
| Hungary | 763 |
| Russia | 743 |
| Ukraine | 660 |
| Netherlands | 616 |
| India | 588 |
| Canada | 553 |
| Faroe Islands | 494 |
| Syria | 423 |
| Bosnia | 412 |
| Morocco | 396 |
| Colombia | 388 |
| Iraq | 356 |
| Finland | 356 |
| Switzerland | 341 |
| Albania | 332 |
| Brazil | 328 |
| Belgium | 311 |
| Sri Lanka | 287 |
| Greece | 273 |
| Luxembourg | 272 |
| Estonia | 269 |
| Australia | 260 |
| Iran | 251 |
| Austria | 246 |
| Mexico | 240 |
| Indonesia | 239 |
| Nigeria | 234 |
| Ireland | 227 |
| Ghana | 201 |
| Nepal | 195 |
| Japan | 178 |
| Moldova | 171 |
| Afghanistan | 163 |
| Peru | 159 |
| South Africa | 157 |
| Turkey | 157 |
| Kenya | 156 |
| Venezuela | 156 |
| Pakistan | 142 |
| Ethiopia | 133 |
| Chile | 131 |
| North Macedonia | 127 |
| Argentina | 125 |
| Greenland | 124 |
| New Zealand | 118 |
| Slovenia | 106 |
| Algeria | 103 |
| Belarus | 103 |
| Cuba | 97 |
| Uganda | 91 |
| Honduras | 91 |
| Dominican Republic | 88 |
| Ecuador | 83 |
| Cape Verde | 82 |
| Georgia | 79 |
| Angola | 76 |
| Lebanon | 76 |
| South Korea | 74 |
| Malaysia | 73 |
| Egypt | 68 |
| Israel | 68 |
| Namibia | 65 |
| Tunisia | 62 |
| Guatemala | 54 |
| Kazakhstan | 53 |
| Somalia | 48 |
| Mozambique | 45 |
| Senegal | 44 |
| Jordan | 41 |
| Palestine | 41 |
| El Salvador | 41 |
| Tanzania | 36 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 36 |
| Guinea | 35 |
| Guyana | 35 |
| Mongolia | 32 |
| Singapore | 32 |
| Jamaica | 32 |
| Gambia | 29 |
| Sierra Leone | 29 |
| Azerbaijan | 29 |
| Saudi Arabia | 27 |
| Costa Rica | 27 |
| Bolivia | 23 |
| Zimbabwe | 20 |
| Uzbekistan | 20 |
| Haiti | 20 |
| Zambia | 18 |
| Bangladesh | 18 |
| Montenegro | 18 |
| Togo | 17 |
| Cyprus | 17 |
| UAE | 17 |
| Uruguay | 17 |
| Armenia | 15 |
| Eritrea | 14 |
| Malta | 14 |
| Libya | 11 |
| Ivory Coast | 11 |
| Panama | 11 |
| Mauritius | 9 |
| Sudan | 9 |
| Liberia | 9 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 9 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 9 |
| Nicaragua | 9 |
| Cameroon | 8 |
| Bahamas | 8 |
| Mali | 6 |
| Myanmar | 6 |
| Kuwait | 5 |
| Qatar | 5 |
| Madagascar | 3 |
| DR Congo | 3 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 3 |
| Mauritania | 3 |
| Tajikistan | 3 |
| Oman | 3 |
| Andorra | 3 |
| San Marino | 3 |
| Dominica | 3 |
| Paraguay | 3 |
| Bermuda | 3 |
| Malawi | 2 |
| Chad | 2 |
| Republic of Congo | 2 |
| Benin | 2 |
| Turkmenistan | 2 |
| Cambodia | 2 |
| Yemen | 2 |
| Papua New Guinea | 2 |
| Tonga | 2 |
| Djibouti | 0 |
| Rwanda | 0 |
| Gabon | 0 |
| Burkina Faso | 0 |
| North Korea | 0 |
| Laos | 0 |
| East Timor | 0 |
| Bahrain | 0 |
| Gibraltar | 0 |
| Liechtenstein | 0 |
| Monaco | 0 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 0 |
| Aruba | 0 |
| Barbados | 0 |
| Curaçao | 0 |
| Puerto Rico | 0 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0 |
| Belize | 0 |
| Fiji | 0 |
| Solomon Islands | 0 |
By region of origin
78% of immigrants come from Europe
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Key facts
Immigrants in Iceland in numbers
Immigration drives population growth
67% of the population growth of Iceland since 1990 came from immigrants.
The immigrant population has grown 51% since 2020
The number of foreigners living in Iceland rose from 65.1K to 98.3K in four years.
The map of origins has changed since 1990
7 countries have entered the top 20 origins since 1990: Lithuania, Latvia, Romania. Lithuania climbed from outside the top 20 to #3.
Poles are the largest group by a wide margin
32% of all immigrants were born in Poland, while the next group accounts for just 6%.
1 in 4 residents of Iceland was born abroad
98.3K of 386.5K residents were born abroad — 25.4% of the population.
More immigrants come from a single country than in 1990
The largest group's share rose from 21% to 32%, and today that group is people born in Poland.
Immigrant population in Iceland over time
Foreigners living in Iceland, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 9584 |
| 1995 | 12738 |
| 2000 | 15892 |
| 2005 | 25492 |
| 2010 | 34512 |
| 2015 | 38784 |
| 2020 | 65061 |
| 2024 | 98270 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in Iceland, by year
| Year | Poles | Danes | Lithuanians | Americans | Swedes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 265 | 2048 | 0 | 1077 | 1012 |
| 1995 | 878 | 2175 | 16 | 1190 | 1280 |
| 2000 | 1491 | 2302 | 32 | 1392 | 1547 |
| 2005 | 5895 | 2637 | 753 | 1606 | 1716 |
| 2010 | 10091 | 2912 | 1444 | 1851 | 1847 |
| 2015 | 10967 | 3283 | 1499 | 2019 | 1920 |
| 2020 | 21102 | 3918 | 3171 | 2604 | 2357 |
| 2024 | 31868 | 5917 | 4789 | 3932 | 3559 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in Iceland
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in Iceland
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in Iceland?
Around 98.3K immigrants live in Iceland — the world's #135 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of Iceland are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 25% of the population of Iceland — that's 98.3K out of a total population of 386.5K.
Where do most immigrants in Iceland come from?
Most immigrants in Iceland come from Poland, Denmark and Lithuania — these three countries account for about 43% of all immigrants.
How many Poles live in Iceland?
Around 31.9K Poles live in Iceland — about 32% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in Iceland growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in Iceland has grown from 38.8K to 98.3K, about 153%.
Where does the data on immigrants in Iceland come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in Iceland. Their children born in Iceland are not included.
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Living in Iceland
See the full country overview