Rural population, per square kilometre in Iceland
Iceland: Rural population, per square kilometre was 0.2237 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.2237 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
202nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
0.3396 units per square kilometre
in 1961
All-time low
0.2062 units per square kilometre
in 2013
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in Iceland, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population, per square kilometre in Iceland is 0.2237 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in Iceland peaked at 0.3396 units per square kilometre in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.2062 units per square kilometre, in 2013.
That places Iceland 202nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in Iceland, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.3396 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.3359 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1963 | 0.3329 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 0.3271 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 0.3225 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1966 | 0.3211 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 0.3192 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 0.3136 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 0.3093 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 0.3051 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1971 | 0.3017 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 0.2974 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 0.2923 units per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 0.2899 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 0.2857 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 0.2815 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 0.278 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1978 | 0.2749 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 0.2729 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 0.2711 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 0.2683 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 0.2657 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 0.2627 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 0.2599 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 0.2569 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 0.2534 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 0.2495 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 0.2461 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 0.2422 units per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 0.2388 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 0.234 units per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 0.2306 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 0.229 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 0.2269 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 0.223 units per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 0.2189 units per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 0.2158 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 0.2276 units per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 0.2266 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 0.2253 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 0.2261 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 0.2246 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 0.2217 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 0.2203 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 0.2256 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 0.2365 units per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 0.2374 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 0.2196 units per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 2009 | 0.2083 units per square kilometre | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 0.2075 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 0.2097 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 0.2075 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 0.2062 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.2084 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 0.207 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 0.2081 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 0.2133 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 0.215 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 0.2154 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.2131 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 0.2139 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 0.2205 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 0.2237 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 0.2237 units per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.09 units per square kilometre, 1% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 0.2237 units per square kilometre is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 25.88 units per square kilometre, 1% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3246 units per square kilometre | 0.3093 units per square kilometre | 0.3396 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.2879 units per square kilometre | 0.2729 units per square kilometre | 0.3051 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2576 units per square kilometre | 0.2422 units per square kilometre | 0.2711 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2271 units per square kilometre | 0.2158 units per square kilometre | 0.2388 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2246 units per square kilometre | 0.2083 units per square kilometre | 0.2374 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2098 units per square kilometre | 0.2062 units per square kilometre | 0.2154 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2178 units per square kilometre | 0.2131 units per square kilometre | 0.2237 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 199 Mongolia 0.6601 units per square kilometre compare
- 200 Libya 0.5039 units per square kilometre compare
- 201 Australia 0.4337 units per square kilometre compare
- 203 Greenland 0.0165 units per square kilometre compare
- 204 Bahrain 0 units per square kilometre compare
- 204 Bermuda 0 units per square kilometre
- 204 Cayman Islands 0 units per square kilometre
- 204 Gibraltar 0 units per square kilometre
- 204 Hong Kong 0 units per square kilometre compare
- 204 Kuwait 0 units per square kilometre compare
- 204 Macao 0 units per square kilometre compare
- 204 Saint Martin (French Part) 0 units per square kilometre
- 204 Monaco 0 units per square kilometre
- 204 Nauru 0 units per square kilometre
- 204 Singapore 0 units per square kilometre
- 204 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 0 units per square kilometre
More agriculture & rural data for Iceland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 19.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0365 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 3,593 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8983 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0578 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in Iceland?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in Iceland was 0.2237 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3396 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2062 units per square kilometre in 2013.
- How does Iceland rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- Iceland ranks 202nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.