Population
54.7k persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.
Faroe Islands
All indicators of the Macroscope base for Faroe Islands, with sources. Below: what past UN and IMF releases projected and what actually happened.
GDP per capita, PPP
72,114
constant 2021 international $, 2024
What the data shows
Computed with the same code as the observations under the main chart and in the API (get_insights). Moving together in time does not prove a cause.
How the indicators changed
- Fertility (TFR): 3.85 in 1950 → 2.24 in 2023 (−42%). Peak: 4.09 in 1965; the latest value is 45% lower. The trend broke around 1966 and 1978: +0.02 → −0.13 → 0 a year.
- Births: 0.88k in 1950 → 0.69k in 2023 (−21%). Peak: 0.96k in 1990; the latest value is 28% lower. The trend broke around 1991 and 1997: 0k → −0.02k → 0k a year.
- Population: 31.7k in 1950 → 54.7k in 2023 (+73%). The trend broke around 1989 and 1995: +0.43k → −0.49k → +0.31k a year.
- Internet: 0% in 1990 → 97.6% in 2017 (+98 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 1998, above 50% since 2002, above 90% since 2013. Fastest growth in 1997–2002: 4.6% → 53.3%.
- Urban share: 21% in 1960 → 39.6% in 2025 (+19 pp). The trend broke around 1974: change slowed down (+0.68 → +0.18 a year).
- GDP per person (PPP): 54,263 PPP dollars in 2008 → 72,114 PPP dollars in 2024 (+33%). Low: 51,480 PPP dollars in 2010; +40% since then.
What changed at the same time
- The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1966–1976: 4.04 → 2.74. Over the same years: births 0.91k → 0.76k; population 36.8k → 41k; urban share 25.4% → 31.3%; no data for the others in those years.
- Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 2.54 → 2.24; births 0.64k → 0.69k; population 48.3k → 54.7k; internet 90% (2013); urban share 37.7% → 39.2%; GDP per person (PPP) 60,950 PPP dollars → 71,828 PPP dollars.
How the indicators relate
- Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2017, 24 years): levels are barely related (r = −0.05); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.18).
- Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.87); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.10). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
- Fertility (TFR) and GDP per person (PPP) (2008–2023, 16 years): levels are noticeably related, in opposite directions (r = −0.48); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.44).
Forecasts vs actual
- Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 1 of 1 revisions (2022–2022) and above in none; median gap −17%.
- The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (2.24, 2023) only around 2048: reality is 25 years ahead of it.
- Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.97 (−12% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.79 (−20% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.29.
- Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 1 of 1 revisions (2022–2022) and above in none; median gap −12%.
- Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 0.74k (+7% vs 2023), 2100 — 0.58k (−16% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 0.23k.
- Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 12; median gap +5.6%.
- Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 63k (+15% vs 2023), 2100 — 63.3k (+16% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 44.3k.
UN projections vs actual
Solid line: actual data, UN WPP 2024 estimates to 2023, then national statistics where comparable with the UN. Dashed: medium variants of past UN revisions. The table shows what each revision expected for the latest year (or five-year period) with actual data.
Population
persons, 1 July
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2023 | 25 years | 36.9k | 54.7k | +48.1% |
| UN 2000 | 2023 | 23 years | 54.5k | 54.7k | +0.4% |
| UN 2002 | 2023 | 21 years | 52k | 54.7k | +5.2% |
| UN 2004 | 2023 | 19 years | 52.2k | 54.7k | +4.8% |
| UN 2006 | 2023 | 17 years | 53.6k | 54.7k | +2% |
| UN 2008 | 2023 | 15 years | 54.2k | 54.7k | +0.9% |
| UN 2010 | 2023 | 13 years | 51.7k | 54.7k | +5.9% |
| UN 2012 | 2023 | 11 years | 50.7k | 54.7k | +7.8% |
| UN 2015 | 2023 | 8 years | 49.1k | 54.7k | +11.4% |
| UN 2017 | 2023 | 6 years | 50.5k | 54.7k | +8.3% |
| UN 2019 | 2023 | 4 years | 49.4k | 54.7k | +10.7% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 53.3k | 54.7k | +2.7% |
Births
births per year
- Actual
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 0.79k | 0.69k | −12.3% |
Total fertility rate
children per woman
- Actual
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 2.71 | 2.24 | −17.2% |
All indicators
Demography
Births
0.69k births per year latest value, 2023
Live births per calendar year. UN WPP 2024 and national statistics (64 countries, 2015-2025).
Total fertility rate
2.24 children per woman latest value, 2023
Average number of children a woman would have at the age-specific fertility rates of the year.
Life expectancy at birth, women
82.5 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn girl would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Life expectancy at birth, men
78.2 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn boy would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Median age
37.3 years latest value, 2023
Age that divides the population in two halves (UN).
Mean age of mothers at childbirth
30.3 years latest value, 2023
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children of any order (UN).
Sex ratio at birth
106.7 boys per 100 girls latest value, 2023
Boys born per 100 girls born (UN).
Net migration
0.6k persons per year latest value, 2023
Immigrants minus emigrants per year (UN estimate and projection).
Old-age dependency
32.4 persons 65+ per 100 aged 20-64 latest value, 2020
Persons aged 65+ per 100 aged 20-64, every five years (UN).
Digitalisation
Internet users
97.6 % of population latest value, 2017
Share of individuals who used the Internet in the last three months from any device. ITU data.
Mobile cellular subscriptions
105.8 per 100 people latest value, 2022
Active mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people; can exceed 100 when people have several SIM cards. ITU data.
Fixed broadband subscriptions
34.6 subscriptions per 100 people latest value, 2022
Fixed subscriptions to high-speed Internet (256 kbit/s or more) per 100 people. ITU data.
Economy
GDP per capita, PPP
72,114 constant 2021 international $ latest value, 2024
Gross domestic product per person at purchasing power parity, constant 2021 international dollars (World Bank, ICP).
Society
Urban population
39.6 % of population latest value, 2025
Share of people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices (World Bank, from UN World Urbanization Prospects).
Life expectancy at birth
83.1 years latest value, 2024
Life expectancy at birth, both sexes (World Bank, from UN and national statistics).
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