MigrantoMigration trends in Iceland
Europe
Iceland takes in more people than it loses: 98.3K immigrants against 23.3K emigrants. Net balance +74.9K — 19% of the country's population
386.5K
Population
98.3K
Immigrants
23.3K
Emigrants
+74.9K
Inflow
1 in 4 residents of Iceland was born abroad — and 1 in 18 people born in Iceland lives abroad
#135 in the world by net migration gain
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Iceland
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
9.6K immigrants · 6.6K emigrants
2000
- Roughly 1 in 20 residents was now foreign-born
2005
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 60%
- Net migration doubled — the surplus reached 12K
2010
- Roughly 1 in 10 residents was now foreign-born
2020
- Net migration doubled — the surplus reached 44.2K
Today
- Roughly 1 in 5 residents was now foreign-born
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 51%
- Without migration, the population would have declined
- Since 1990: 88.7K more foreign-born residents and roughly the same number of emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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