The Faroese Population - an almost steady growth
The population has increased almost constantly during the last hundred years. A major exception to this was the early nineties, when the population declined almost 10 percent due to a severe economic recession. In 1801, the population of the Faroe Islands was about 5.000 people. In 1870 there were over 10.000 people, in 1933 there were about 25.000 people and in 1973 the number surpassed 40.000. These days, the number of people living in the Faroe Islands is over 48.500, which is the largest ever.
In recent years the already populous areas have been growing rapidly, compared to the rest of the country. The reasons for this influx are, as elsewhere, economic and social forces. About 35 percent of the population is living in the capital, Tórshavn. Other densely populated areas are primarily the municipalities of Klaksvík and Runavík.
The age structure of the Faroese society is quite different from other western countries. A significant part of the generation aged 20-29 years is missing. The main reason is, that this part of the population is receiving their education or job training abroad as only a few higher education opportunities are available in the Faroe Islands.
The life expectancy has increased. A newborn boy can expect to be almost 77 years, and a newborn girl can expect to be over 82 years. Thirty years ago, the corresponding numbers were about 73 and 79.
The fertility rate has been falling. In 1970, each woman had an average of 3,4 children, while they had an average of 2,3 children in 2009. The fertility rate is, however, the highest in Europe, where all other countries, except Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, France and Turkey, have a total average fertility rate of less than 2 children per woman of childbearing age. The common ageing society-problem in the western world is therefore not expected to strike as hard in the Faroe Islands as in many other countries.
