What is birth rate vs. death rate in Iceland?

Birth rate vs. death rate in Iceland was 11.21 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 Iceland?

The highest recorded value was 28.76 births per 1,000 people in 1950.

What is the lowest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in Iceland?

The lowest recorded value was 11.21 births per 1,000 people in 2023.

How does Iceland rank for birth rate vs. death rate?

Iceland ranks 147th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.

Is birth rate vs. death rate rising or falling in Iceland?

Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this Iceland 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.

Birth rate vs. death rate in Iceland

Name: Birth rate vs. death rate in Iceland
Creator: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Iceland: Birth rate vs. death rate was 11.21 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)

11.21 births per 1,000 people

Change on year

down 1.6%

World rank

147th

of 236 countries

All-time high

28.76 births per 1,000 people

in 1950

All-time low

11.21 births per 1,000 people

in 2023

Years of data

1950–2023

Birth rate vs. death rate in Iceland, 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 Iceland is 11.21 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 1.6% on the previous year and down 16.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, birth rate vs. death rate in Iceland peaked at 28.76 births per 1,000 people in 1950 and was at its lowest, 11.21 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.

That places Iceland 147th 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.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	28.06 births per 1,000 people	27.35 births per 1,000 people	28.76 births per 1,000 people	10
1960s	24.23 births per 1,000 people	20.82 births per 1,000 people	27.73 births per 1,000 people	10
1970s	20.06 births per 1,000 people	18.21 births per 1,000 people	22.22 births per 1,000 people	10
1980s	17.88 births per 1,000 people	16.02 births per 1,000 people	19.88 births per 1,000 people	10
1990s	16.58 births per 1,000 people	14.76 births per 1,000 people	18.72 births per 1,000 people	10
2000s	14.67 births per 1,000 people	14.12 births per 1,000 people	15.9 births per 1,000 people	10
2010s	13.06 births per 1,000 people	11.65 births per 1,000 people	15.48 births per 1,000 people	10
2020s	11.94 births per 1,000 people	11.21 births per 1,000 people	12.93 births per 1,000 people	4

Countries ranked near Iceland

144 Falkland Islands 11.31 births per 1,000 people compare
145 Saint Lucia 11.26 births per 1,000 people compare
148 United States Virgin Islands 11.19 births per 1,000 people compare
149 Barbados 11.17 births per 1,000 people compare
150 Dominica 11.09 births per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More health data for Iceland

Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,358 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 0 deaths (2100)
Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 2,836 (2025)
Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 2,804 (2025)
Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 2,804 (2025)
Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 2,697 (2025)
Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 2,653 (2025)
Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 2,582 (2025)

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is birth rate vs. death rate in Iceland?: Birth rate vs. death rate in Iceland was 11.21 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 Iceland?: The highest recorded value was 28.76 births per 1,000 people in 1950.
What is the lowest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in Iceland?: The lowest recorded value was 11.21 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
How does Iceland rank for birth rate vs. death rate?: Iceland ranks 147th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is birth rate vs. death rate rising or falling in Iceland?: Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iceland 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Birth rate vs. death rate
Unit: births per 1,000 people
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.