Population

Greenland´s population lives in towns and settlements on the coast. Over 60 per cent live in the five largest towns - Nuuk, Sisimiut, Ilulissat, Aasiaat and Qaqortoq.

Greenland has a total populace overweight of men, as the workforce born outside of Greenland consists of 2/3 men and 1/3 women.

Compared to the population size in Greenland, the internal migrations are significant, and have a big impact on the populace composition. An internal migration from outer districts to towns, primarily to Nuuk, has been going on for the last 50 years.

The majority of migrants are citizens of the Danish Kingdom, who move from Denmark to Greenland or vice versa. Greenland´s constant need for summoned workforce requires the net emigration of foreign nationals to be continuously countered by immigration. Over time, the foreign net immigration is at a balance.

Around 800 persons are born every year, and 500 die. Men and women born in Greenland have a shorter life expectancy than the average of the western world. This is primarily due to a high mortality rate caused by accidents and suicide. In Greenland, men live to the age of 69.6 years on average, while women live to the age of 73.5 years.

The general birth pattern has remained stable during the last ten years. Towns differ from settlements in fertility rate. Women in settlements give birth to more children than those in towns. However, since the start 1970´s, the fertility total has been constant, at around 2 births per woman.