Population trends on the Faroe Islands from 1327-2022

The first estimate of the Faroe Islands’ population is from the year 1300, when the population was estimated at 2,440. The next estimate is for 1327, when the number had risen to 2,700. In 1600, the population was estimated to be about 3,200. The following 50 years saw a decline in population, reaching a critical low of 2,515 in 1650. This is due to the unusually long cold period throughout Europe, referred to as ‘the Little Ice Age’, where living conditions on the Faroe Islands drastically worsened with cold winters and cool, rainy summers. In 1710, the population was about 3,600 people, and in 1720 it had increased to 3,985.

The first actual census in 1769 showed a population of 4,769, and by the next census in 1801, it had reached about 5,000. One reason for the increase in population was that the natural conditions had improved, but equally important was the fact that the propertyless now had access to allotments of land. At the same time, the fishing industry developed in the period leading up to the turn of the century, when the population tripled to about 15,000 in 1901. The development continued, and the census in 1950 showed a doubling to about 30,000 inhabitants.

The economic downturn in the early 1990s led to massive emigration, and it took 25 years to get back to pre-crisis levels. In 2022, society has been completely restored, and the population is 53,676.

Further reading