Birth rate vs. death rate in Greenland
Greenland: Birth rate vs. death rate was 14.11 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rate vs. death rate in Greenland, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate vs. death rate in Greenland is 14.11 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate vs. death rate in Greenland peaked at 46.92 births per 1,000 people in 1961 and was at its lowest, 14.11 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Greenland 112th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate vs. death rate in Greenland, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 41.54 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 42.29 births per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 1952 | 42.8 births per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1953 | 43.67 births per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1954 | 44.77 births per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1955 | 45.69 births per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1956 | 45.43 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1957 | 45.63 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1958 | 45.83 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1959 | 46.29 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 46.66 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 46.92 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 45.94 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1963 | 44.83 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 1964 | 43.62 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1965 | 42.09 births per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1966 | 39.41 births per 1,000 people | -6.4% |
| 1967 | 36.62 births per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 1968 | 32.98 births per 1,000 people | -10.0% |
| 1969 | 28.5 births per 1,000 people | -13.6% |
| 1970 | 24.18 births per 1,000 people | -15.1% |
| 1971 | 22.06 births per 1,000 people | -8.8% |
| 1972 | 20.92 births per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1973 | 19.28 births per 1,000 people | -7.8% |
| 1974 | 17.62 births per 1,000 people | -8.6% |
| 1975 | 17.22 births per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 1976 | 17.3 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 18.09 births per 1,000 people | +4.6% |
| 1978 | 17.88 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 18.52 births per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 20.15 births per 1,000 people | +8.8% |
| 1981 | 20.54 births per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 20.37 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 19.65 births per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1984 | 20.27 births per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 21.2 births per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 1986 | 20.41 births per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 20.58 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 21.91 births per 1,000 people | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 22.15 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 22.41 births per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 21.88 births per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 22.17 births per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 21.57 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 20.64 births per 1,000 people | -4.3% |
| 1995 | 19.75 births per 1,000 people | -4.3% |
| 1996 | 19.11 births per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 19.19 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 17.51 births per 1,000 people | -8.8% |
| 1999 | 16.57 births per 1,000 people | -5.4% |
| 2000 | 15.96 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 16.47 births per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 16.56 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 15.76 births per 1,000 people | -4.8% |
| 2004 | 15.62 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 15.36 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 14.88 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 15.04 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 15.16 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 15.66 births per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 15.17 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 14.59 births per 1,000 people | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 14.22 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 14.45 births per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 14.53 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 15.04 births per 1,000 people | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 15.1 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 15.17 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 14.9 births per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 14.81 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 14.72 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 14.57 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 14.36 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 14.11 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 14.11 births per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.6 births per 1,000 people, 1.5× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 14.11 births per 1,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.31 births per 1,000 people, 1.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 44.4 births per 1,000 people | 41.54 births per 1,000 people | 46.29 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 40.76 births per 1,000 people | 28.5 births per 1,000 people | 46.92 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.31 births per 1,000 people | 17.22 births per 1,000 people | 24.18 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.72 births per 1,000 people | 19.65 births per 1,000 people | 22.15 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.08 births per 1,000 people | 16.57 births per 1,000 people | 22.41 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.65 births per 1,000 people | 14.88 births per 1,000 people | 16.56 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.8 births per 1,000 people | 14.22 births per 1,000 people | 15.17 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.44 births per 1,000 people | 14.11 births per 1,000 people | 14.72 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
- 109 Venezuela 15.09 births per 1,000 people compare
- 110 Ecuador 15.03 births per 1,000 people compare
- 111 New Caledonia 14.26 births per 1,000 people compare
- 113 Sri Lanka 14.11 births per 1,000 people compare
- 114 Niue 13.87 births per 1,000 people compare
- 115 Vietnam 13.83 births per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Greenland
- Number of infants who die before age 1 1 deaths (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3856 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Population, male, annual growth rate -0.1339 % change on previous year (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 344 (2025)
- Population, female, annual growth rate 0.1299 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per capita 0.1153 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 336 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate vs. death rate in Greenland?
- Birth rate vs. death rate in Greenland was 14.11 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 46.92 births per 1,000 people in 1961.
- What is the lowest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.11 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Greenland rank for birth rate vs. death rate?
- Greenland ranks 112th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate vs. death rate rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Greenland data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate vs. death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.