Faroe Islands People - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

52,600 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Faroese (singular and plural)

adjective: Faroese

Ethnic groups

Faroese 85.3% (Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon descent), Danish 8.3%, other Nordic 1.4%, other 4.5% (includes Filipino, Poland, Romanian) (2022 est.)

note: data represent respondents by country of birth

Languages

Faroese 93.8% (derived from Old Norse), Danish 3.2%, other 3% (2011 est.)

note:  data represent population by primary language

Religions

Christian 89.3% (predominantly Evangelical Lutheran), other 1%, none 3.8%, unspecified 6% (2011 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 19.9% (male 5,415/female 5,053)

15-64 years: 61.94% (male 17,211/female 15,367)

65 years and over: 18.16% (2023 est.) (male 4,621/female 4,933)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 62.8

youth dependency ratio: 33.6

elderly dependency ratio: 29.1

potential support ratio: 3.4 (2021)

Median age

total: 37.2 years

male: 36.9 years

female: 37.7 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

0.63% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

14.94 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.61 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

the island of Streymoy is by far the most populous with over 40% of the population; it has approximately twice as many inhabitants as Eysturoy, the second most populous island; seven of the inhabited islands have fewer than 100 people

Urbanization

urban population: 43% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

21,000 TORSHAVN (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female

total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 5.86 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 6.48 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 81.47 years

male: 78.96 years

female: 84.17 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.28 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.1 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

N/A

Drinking water source

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 0% of population (2020)

Current health expenditure

N/A

Physicians density

2.62 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density

4.2 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: N/A

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: N/A

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

N/A

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

34.8% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

7.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Literacy

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

NOTE: The information regarding Faroe Islands on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Faroe Islands 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Faroe Islands 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.