Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Migration in Iceland - Statistics & Facts
The most famous wave of immigrants to Iceland came in the ninth century, when Norwegian Vikings brought people from the British Isles with them and settled the island. Hence, a high share of Icelanders today have either Norse or Gaelic ancestry. Throughout most of the country's history, immigration has been sparse due to its location and rough climate. In fact, through the late 18- and early 1900s, many Icelanders emigrated to North America, particularly to Canada; it is estimated that the number of people who emigrated from Iceland to the U.S. between 1870 and 1914 was equal to 20 percent of the total population in the 1880s. More recently, immigration to the country did not reach significant levels until Iceland joined the European Economic Area in 1994, and over the last 20 years, the share of foreign citizens living in Iceland has grown five times larger. As a result of the financial crisis, which hit Iceland hard, many people went abroad to find work; this is reflected in the fact that net migration to the island was negative between 2009 and 2012.
