Faroe Islands population pyramid 2026
56,526 people in 2026 (projected). The Faroe Islands have some of the highest fertility in Europe but a persistent shortage of women, with about 121 men per 100 women at ages 25–29.
- 2026 population
- 56.5Krank 209 of 237
- Median age
- 37.1 yearsoldest rank 91
- Fertility rate
- 2.19births per woman · above replacement
- Structure
- Transitional17.8% age 65+
Faroe Islands population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Faroe Islands age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 19.8% of the population, while 17.8% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 62.4% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Faroe Islands’s age structure as transitional; the guide to population pyramid types explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 60.3: about 60 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (31.7 children and 28.6 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Faroe Islands’s population pyramid
Where are the young women?
The defining feature of this small North Atlantic population is a lasting surplus of men at working ages. In 1975 men outnumbered women in every band from 15 to 44, and in 2000 there were about 132 men per 100 women at ages 25–29. In 2026 the ratio is still about 121 at 25–29 and 119 at 50–54, and the overall sex ratio is about 107. Young Faroese commonly leave for higher education, often in Denmark, and the imbalance is widely attributed to women being less likely than men to return, though the chart alone cannot show who leaves and who comes back.
The UN estimates net emigration of about 9,500 people between 1950 and 1999, a period that included a severe economic crisis in the early 1990s, and the 30–34 band in 2026, born about 1992–96, forms a notch about 8% smaller than its neighbours. With only about 56,000 inhabitants, each band holds around 4,000 people or fewer, so modest changes in births or migration create visible bulges and notches.
Fertility near replacement
Fertility has stayed unusually high for Europe, at about 2.5 in 2000 and 2010 and about 2.2 in 2026, close to the replacement level. The pyramid therefore has no shrinking base: from 0–4 to 60–64 the bands are of broadly similar size, unlike in Iceland, where fertility has fallen to about 1.5. Under the medium scenario the population grows slowly to a peak of about 65,000 in 2079. In 2026 the age structure most resembles those of New Zealand, the United States, Gibraltar, Australia and Réunion.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35–39 | 1987–1991 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +14% |
| 20–24 | 2002–2006 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +10% |
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2081. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2035.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Faroe Islands is projected to record 726 births (about 2 births a day) and 543 deaths, a natural increase of 183. Net migration adds +311 people, ranking #20 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 15,918 births, 11,709 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +5,501. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +1,609 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 83.0 years62.1 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 78.9 years59.1 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 18.8 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 5.1per 1,000 births · 64 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 6.5per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 30.4 yearssex ratio at birth 106.7
Women in Faroe Islands are projected to live 4.1 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 64 to 5.1 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #167 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 30.4 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Faroe Islands
The median age of 37.1 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 2.19 births per woman is above the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,526 | #209 | Largest first |
| Median age | 37.1 years | #91 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 2.19 | #93 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.9% | #105 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 80.8 years | #55 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 17.8% | #63 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Faroe Islands
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20–24 | 4,017 | 7.1% | 2.1K / 1.9K |
| 2 | 5–9 | 3,824 | 6.8% | 1.9K / 1.9K |
| 3 | 35–39 | 3,811 | 6.7% | 2K / 1.8K |
| 4 | 15–19 | 3,786 | 6.7% | 1.9K / 1.9K |
| 5 | 10–14 | 3,761 | 6.7% | 1.9K / 1.8K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Faroe Islands has 29,155 males and 27,372 females. That is 106.5 males per 100 females, ranking #19 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 51.6% of the population and females for 48.4%. There are 1,783 more males than females overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 93.5 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 106.7 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Faroe Islands has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 31,664 in 1950 to 56,526 in 2026, a change of 79%. Over the same span, median age moved from 24.6 to 37.1 years.
The under-15 share changed from 32.7% to 19.8%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 7.6% to 17.8%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Faroe Islands’s population is projected to grow by about 12%, reaching 63,036 in 2050. The median age changes from 37.1 to 40.2 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 3.6 percentage points to 21.4%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 18.3%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 65,060 in 2079. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 31,664 | 24.6 | 3.85 | 60.6 | 878 | 415 | −157 | +0.9% |
| 1960 | 34,127 | 25.2 | 3.85 | 72.0 | 788 | 266 | −63 | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 38,269 | 25.3 | 3.42 | 74.8 | 817 | 270 | −155 | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 43,072 | 27.3 | 2.47 | 75.8 | 740 | 313 | +119 | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 47,497 | 30.0 | 2.78 | 76.9 | 961 | 372 | −1,203 | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 45,663 | 33.8 | 2.56 | 78.3 | 686 | 403 | +301 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 48,170 | 36.7 | 2.50 | 78.7 | 643 | 477 | −780 | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 52,586 | 37.9 | 2.36 | 80.0 | 676 | 546 | +548 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 54,714 | 37.3 | 2.24 | 80.2 | 690 | 564 | +599 | +1.3% |
| 2024* | 55,400 | 37.1 | 2.22 | 80.4 | 705 | 553 | +488 | +1.2% |
| 2026* | 56,526 | 37.1 | 2.19 | 80.8 | 726 | 543 | +311 | +0.9% |
| 2030* | 58,206 | 37.6 | 2.13 | 81.6 | 763 | 536 | +126 | +0.6% |
| 2040* | 61,039 | 38.2 | 2.04 | 83.4 | 783 | 559 | +4 | +0.4% |
| 2050* | 63,036 | 40.2 | 1.97 | 85.0 | 736 | 591 | +17 | +0.3% |
| 2060* | 64,030 | 41.8 | 1.92 | 86.4 | 705 | 611 | −9 | +0.1% |
| 2070* | 64,746 | 43.1 | 1.88 | 87.8 | 696 | 619 | −10 | +0.1% |
| 2080* | 65,052 | 44.6 | 1.85 | 89.0 | 652 | 646 | −27 | -0.0% |
| 2090* | 64,480 | 46.4 | 1.82 | 90.2 | 610 | 673 | −40 | -0.2% |
| 2100* | 63,251 | 47.9 | 1.79 | 91.3 | 583 | 695 | −44 | -0.3% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 1,855 | 1,748 | 3,603 | 6.4% |
| 5–9 | 1,935 | 1,889 | 3,824 | 6.8% |
| 10–14 | 1,930 | 1,831 | 3,761 | 6.7% |
| 15–19 | 1,923 | 1,863 | 3,786 | 6.7% |
| 20–24 | 2,079 | 1,938 | 4,017 | 7.1% |
| 25–29 | 1,914 | 1,583 | 3,497 | 6.2% |
| 30–34 | 1,777 | 1,575 | 3,352 | 5.9% |
| 35–39 | 1,996 | 1,815 | 3,811 | 6.7% |
| 40–44 | 1,764 | 1,568 | 3,332 | 5.9% |
| 45–49 | 1,758 | 1,593 | 3,351 | 5.9% |
| 50–54 | 1,853 | 1,552 | 3,405 | 6.0% |
| 55–59 | 1,779 | 1,621 | 3,400 | 6.0% |
| 60–64 | 1,723 | 1,583 | 3,306 | 5.8% |
| 65–69 | 1,459 | 1,470 | 2,929 | 5.2% |
| 70–74 | 1,236 | 1,239 | 2,475 | 4.4% |
| 75–79 | 1,041 | 1,097 | 2,138 | 3.8% |
| 80–84 | 704 | 738 | 1,442 | 2.6% |
| 85–89 | 301 | 405 | 706 | 1.2% |
| 90–94 | 105 | 189 | 294 | 0.5% |
| 95–99 | 26 | 64 | 90 | 0.2% |
| 100+ | 2 | 10 | 12 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Faroe Islands’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- New Zealand97% overlap · median age 38.0
- United States96% overlap · median age 38.7
- Gibraltar96% overlap · median age 38.8
- Australia96% overlap · median age 38.5
- Réunion95% overlap · median age 38.4
- Ireland95% overlap · median age 39.2
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Faroe Islands.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Faroe Islands Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/faroe-islands/
MLA
“Faroe Islands Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/faroe-islands/.
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World Population Pyramid. “Faroe Islands Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/faroe-islands/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Faroe Islands in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Faroe Islands's population in 2026 is projected at 56,526.
What is the median age in Faroe Islands?
The projected median age in Faroe Islands in 2026 is 37.1 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Faroe Islands?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 2.19 births per woman, above the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Faroe Islands's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 12%, from 56.5K to 63K.
What share of Faroe Islands is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 17.8% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 21.4%.
How many babies are born in Faroe Islands each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 726 births and 543 deaths in 2026, about 2 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 183.
What is life expectancy in Faroe Islands for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 83.0 years for women and 78.9 years for men, a gap of 4.1 years in favour of women.
Does Faroe Islands have more immigrants or emigrants?
Faroe Islands is projected to gain about 311 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +5,501.
What is the sex ratio in Faroe Islands?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 106.5 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.