This is a demography of the population of Greenland including population density, ethnicity, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The demographics of Greenland is highly impacted by the rapid transformation from a hunter-gatherer to a post-industrial society in the 20th century. This transformation resulted in Greenland undergoing a demographic transition, with a significant population increase as a result.
This rocketing of the population caused Danish authorities to implement a highly controversial IUD program, known as the Spiral case in the 1960s and 70s.
Populations the resident population of Greenland was estimated to be 56,699, an increase of 90 (0.2%) from the previous year.
+ Population by municipalityon 1 January 2024 Municipality Population % of total Annual change Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq 24,382 43.00% +234 (+1.0%)Avannaata Kommunia 10,846 19.13% −74 (−0.7%)Qeqqata Kommunia 9,204 16.23% +13 (+0.1%)Kommune Kujalleq 6,145 10.84% −60 (−1.0%)Kommune Qeqertalik 6,058 10.68% −24 (−0.4%) Values do not sum to 100% because there were 64 inhabitants living outside the five municipalities; this includes residents in the unincorporated Northeast Greenland National Park. Nuuk is the most populous locality in Greenland with 19,872 inhabitants, which is about 35% of Greenland's total population.
Structure of the population
Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 29 867 26 616 56 483 100 0–4 2 142 1 930 4 072 7.21 5–9 2 004 1 942 3 946 6.99 10–14 2 088 2 022 4 110 7.28 15–19 2 130 2 111 4 241 7.51 20–24 2 350 2 283 4 633 8.20 25–29 2 159 2 081 4 240 7.51 30–34 1 954 1 864 3 818 6.76 35–39 1 730 1 440 3 170 5.61 40–44 2 008 1 690 3 698 6.55 45–49 2 980 2 537 5 517 9.77 50–54 2 599 2 123 4 722 8.36 55–59 2 092 1 546 3 638 6.44 60–64 1 425 1 036 2 461 4.36 65–69 1 071 731 1 802 3.19 70–74 629 594 1 223 2.17 75–79 319 365 684 1.21 80–84 143 229 372 0.66 85–89 39 80 119 0.21 90–94 4 10 14 0.02 95–99 1 2 3 <0.01Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 6 234 5 894 12 128 21.47 15–64 21 427 18 711 40 138 71.06 65+ 2 206 2 011 4 217 7.47
Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 29 855 26 798 56 653 100 0–4 2 058 1 987 4 045 7.14 5–9 1 994 1 855 3 849 6.79 10–14 1 991 1 840 3 831 6.76 15–19 1 851 1 760 3 611 6.37 20–24 1 972 1 943 3 915 6.91 25–29 2 363 2 268 4 631 8.17 30–34 2 398 2 338 4 736 8.36 35–39 2 096 1 902 3 998 7.06 40–44 1 793 1 517 3 310 5.84 45–49 1 630 1 289 2 919 5.15 50–54 2 215 1 922 4 137 7.30 55–59 2 577 2 174 4 751 8.39 60–64 2 108 1 615 3 723 6.57 65–69 1 285 992 2 277 4.02 70–74 776 618 1 394 2.46 75–79 485 433 918 1.62 80–84 194 219 413 0.73 85–89 52 92 144 0.25 90–94 13 29 42 0.07 95+ 4 5 9 0.02Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 6 043 5 682 11 725 20.70 15–64 20 886 18 728 39 614 69.92 65+ 2 926 2 388 5 314 9.38
Vital statistics
United nations. Demographic Yearbooks
YearAverage populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rateInfant mortality rate 1900 12,000 416 306 11035.626.29.4 1901 12,000 461 301 16038.725.313.4 1902 12,000 426 259 16735.521.613.9 1903 12,000 428 327 10135.126.88.3 1904 12,000 535 283 25243.523.020.5 1905 13,000 487 292 19539.023.415.6 1906 13,000 493 366 12739.129.010.1 1907 13,000 476 362 11437.228.38.9 1908 13,000 543 378 16542.129.312.8 1909 13,000 564 448 11643.134.28.9 1910 13,000 443 354 8933.626.86.7 1911 13,000 577 562 1543.141.91.1 1912 14,000 482 389 9335.728.86.9 1913 14,000 592 390 20243.528.714.9 1919 14,000 531 458 7338.833.45.3 1915 14,000 545 428 11739.831.28.5 1916 14,000 545 447 9839.532.47.1 1917 14,000 547 312 23539.422.416.9 1918 14,000 550 328 22239.323.415.9 1919 14,000 510 614−10436.243.5−7.4 1920 14,000 569 429 14040.130.29.9 1921 14,000 610 565 4542.739.53.1 1922 15,000 545 396 14937.327.110.2 1923 15,000 563 326 23738.022.016.0 1924 15,000 580 426 15438.428.210.2 1925 15,000 660 582 7842.937.85.1 1926 16,000 619 340 27939.721.817.9 1927 16,000 615 322 29338.720.318.4 1928 16,000 680 366 31442.022.619.4 1929 17,000 743 353 39045.021.423.6 1930 17,000 768 383 38545.722.822.9 1931 17,000 779 431 34846.125.520.6 1932 17,000 728 625 10343.337.16.2 1933 17,000 776 370 40645.621.823.8 1934 17,000 807 503 30446.428.917.5 1935 18,000 813 835−2246.547.7−1.3 1936 18,000 740 811−7142.046.1−4.0 1937 18,000 767 474 29343.126.616.5 1938 18,000 731 375 35640.420.719.7 1939 18,000 762 680 8241.637.24.5 1940 19,000 873 356 51746.919.127.8 1941 19,000 815 364 45142.719.123.6 1942 20,000 904 448 45646.122.923.3 1943 20,000 796 429 36739.821.518.4 1944 20,000 911 491 42044.724.120.6 1945 21,000 818 408 41039.519.719.8 1946 21,000 920 416 50443.619.723.9 1947 22,000 953 490 46344.122.721.4 1948 22,000 883 499 38440.522.917.65.695 1949 22,000 989 898 9144.740.64.16.045 1950 23,0001,129 539 59050.023.826.16.930 1951 23,000 999 550 44942.923.619.35.770 1952 24,0001,034 475 55943.119.823.35.960 1953 25,0001,109 398 71144.916.128.86.150 1954 26,0001,136 388 74844.415.229.26.310 1955 27,0001,234 375 85946.414.132.36.605 1956 27,0001,293 351 94247.212.834.46.670 1957 29,0001,361 3371,02447.611.835.86.925 1958 30,0001,410 2901,12047.29.737.56.815 1959 31,0001,491 2851,20647.69.138.57.145 1960 33,0001,586 2561,33048.67.840.77.245 1961 34,0001,644 2921,35248.88.740.17.310 1962 35,0001,610 3611,24946.110.335.87.085 1963 36,0001,671 2791,39246.27.738.57.035 1964 38,0001,797 3291,46847.48.738.77.270 1965 39,0001,738 3371,40144.38.635.76.960 1966 41,0001,781 3291,45243.58.035.56.995 1967 43,0001,685 3141,37139.37.332.06.395 1968 45,0001,576 3331,24335.37.427.85.845 1969 46,0001,310 311 99928.56.821.74.580 1970 46,0001,144 283 86124.76.118.63.900 1971 47,0001,028 289 73921.86.115.73.245 1972 48,000 948 295 65319.66.113.52.770 1973 49,000 940 339 60119.26.912.32.69036.2 1974 50,000 866 332 53417.56.710.82.30028.9 1975 50,000 815 313 50217.56.311.22.34536.8 1976 50,000 859 348 51117.37.010.32.25532.6 1977 49,000 918 373 54518.67.211.42.34942.5 1978 49,000 870 309 56117.76.411.32.19726.4 1979 50,000 900 393 50718.28.110.02.18737.8 1980 50,0001,034 380 65420.57.612.82.43531.9 1981 51,0001,056 381 67520.67.513.12.33231.3 1982 52,0001,052 408 64420.68.212.42.23637.1 1983 52,000 994 433 56118.98.310.62.05437.2 1984 53,0001,054 439 61520.08.311.72.10728.5 1985 53,0001,152 435 71721.48.213.22.24124.3 1986 54,0001,055 445 61019.78.311.42.04422.7 1987 54,0001,104 445 65920.48.212.22.08326.3 1988 55,0001,213 432 78122.17.914.32.31716.5 1989 55,0001,210 455 75521.98.213.72.29921.5 1990 56,0001,258 467 79122.68.414.22.44432.6 1991 56,0001,192 458 73421.58.313.22.42134.4 1992 55,0001,237 441 79622.48.014.42.60712.9 1993 55,0001,180 432 74821.37.813.52.57826.3 1994 56,0001,139 445 69420.58.012.52.52422.8 1995 56,0001,101 480 62119.78.611.12.54520.9 1996 56,0001,051 444 60718.88.010.92.52122.8 1997 56,0001,095 492 60319.68.810.82.78018.3 1998 56,000 980 457 52317.58.19.32.49120.4 1999 56,000 945 479 46616.88.58.32.39416.9 2000 56,000 879 450 42915.78.07.72.37218.2 2001 56,000 942 466 47616.88.38.52.49710.6 2002 57,000 954 446 50816.97.89.12.55413.6 2003 57,000 879 411 46815.47.28.22.3638.0 2004 57,000 892 479 41315.68.47.22.40513.5 2005 57,000 886 465 42115.58.17.42.3547.9 2006 57,000 842 440 40214.87.77.12.23616.6 2007 57,000 853 452 40115.17.97.22.28610.6 2008 56,000 834 428 40614.97.67.32.2329.6 2009 56,000 895 437 45816.07.88.22.3534.5 2010 56,000 869 504 36515.59.06.52.2398.1 2011 57,000 821 476 34514.48.36.12.08311.0 2012 57,000 786 459 32713.88.05.81.9598.9 2013 56,000 820 444 37614.67.96.72.0248.5 2014 56,000 805 461 34414.48.26.21.9847.5 2015 56,000 854 472 38215.28.46.82.10310.5 2016 56,000 830 487 34314.88.76.12.0427.2 2017 56,000 853 499 35415.28.96.32.0897.0 2018 56,000 819 487 33214.68.75.91.9887.3 2019 56,000 849 548 30115.29.85.42.05011.8 2020 56,000 835 520 31514.99.35.62.0558.4 2021 56,000 761 531 23013.49.34.11.81814.5 2022 57,000 748 52522313.29.33.91.79012.0 2023 57,000 716 53418212.79.43.31.71812.6 2024 57,000 684 52715712.09.32.81.64411.7 2025 57,000 684 55013412.09.72.41.644
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.25 years male: 68.6 years female: 74.04 years (2012 est.)
Ethnic groups
+ Significant minority groups NationalityPopulation (2024)9213491381221217865635439Other America39
The population of Greenland consists of Greenlandic Inuit (including mixed-race people), Danish Greenlanders and other Europeans and North Americans. The Inuit population makes up approximately 85–90% of the total (2009 est.). 6,792 people from Denmark live in Greenland, which is 12% of its total population.
The average Greenlander has 75% Inuit ancestry and 25% European ancestry, tracing about half of their paternal DNA to Danish male ancestors.
In recent years, Greenland experienced a significant increase in immigration from Asia, especially from the Philippines, Thailand, and China.
Languages The only official language of Greenland is Greenlandic. The number of speakers of Greenlandic is estimated at 50,000 (85–90% of the total population), divided in three main dialects, Kalaallisut (West-Greenlandic, 44,000 speakers and the dialect that is used as official language), Tunumiit (East-Greenlandic, 3,000 speakers) and Inuktun (North-Greenlandic, 800 speakers). The remainder of the population mainly speaks Danish; Inuit Sign Language is the language of the deaf community.
Religion
The nomadic Inuit were traditionally shamanistic, with a well-developed mythology primarily concerned with propitiating a vengeful and fingerless sea Goddess who controlled the success of the seal and whale hunts.
The first Norse colonists were pagan, but Erik the Red's son Leif was converted to Catholic Christianity by King Olaf Trygvesson on a trip to Norway in 990 and sent missionaries back to Greenland. These swiftly established sixteen parishes, some monasteries, and a bishopric at Garðar.
Rediscovering these colonists and spreading the Protestant Reformation among them was one of the primary reasons for the Danish recolonization in the 18th century. Under the patronage of the Royal Mission College in Copenhagen, Norwegian and Danish Lutherans and German Moravian missionaries searched for the missing Norse settlements and began converting the Inuit. The principal figures in the Christianization of Greenland were Hans and Poul Egede and Matthias Stach. The New Testament was translated piecemeal from the time of the very first settlement on Kangeq Island, but the first translation of the whole Bible was not completed until 1900. An improved translation using the modern orthography was completed in 2000.
Today, the major religion is Protestant Christianity, mostly members of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. While there is no official census data on religion in Greenland, the Lutheran Bishop of Greenland Sofie Petersen"Bells ring a wake-up call for climate justice." World Council of Churches. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010 estimated that 85% of the Greenlandic population were members of its congregation in 2009. Estimates in 2022 put the figure at 93%.[https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/denmark/ US State Dept 2022 Kurds inhabited Al-Jazeera, which is part of Kurdistan. report]
Spiral case
In the 1960s and 70s, Greenland was subject to an IUD program. At least 4,500 Inuit women were implanted with IUD's - about half the fertile population of women at the time. It is unclear how many cases lacked consent or proper explanation. The program was publicly known, with Danish doctors writing of it in journals. The involuntary program regained public awareness in 2022 with an investigation known as the spiral case.
References