Lowest annual birth count since World War II



On January 1.st ,2022, 56,562 people lived in Greenland. Thus, the population has increased with 141 people over the past year. The increase is seen for the age group 60 years and over, which has increased with 408 persons from 8,697 to 9,105 (+ 4.7 per cent) during 2021.The preliminary count of this year’s births shows that only 761 children were born in 2021. This is the lowest annual birth count since World War II and it seems that it is the 20-30 year old women who in 2021 postpone their first child.Relocations and migrations are also affected by the pandemic. For relocations, an approx. 15 per cent lower level is seen, and for migrations a significantly lower net migration than the average of the last 30 years.



Table 1. Populations Estimates by January, 1.st 2013-2022
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Total 56.370 56.282 55.983 55.847 55.860 55.877 55.992 56.081 56.421 56.562
Men 29.838 29.730 29.555 29.543 29.493 29.489 29.553 29.551 29.749 29.803
Women 26.532 26.552 26.428 26.304 26.367 26.388 26.439 26.530 26.672 26.759

Source: Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank https://bank.stat.gl/BEESTA

Table 2. Population in municipalities2022(2021)
0-16 17-64 65+ Men Women 2021 2022 forskel
Kommune Kujalleq
Total 1.425 4.006 861 3.323 2.969 6.454 6.292 -162
Town 1.241 3.494 722 2.842 2.615 5.598 5.457 -141
Settlement 184 511 139 480 354 856 834 -22
Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq
Total 5.421 16.676 1.764 12.554 11.307 23.462 23.861 399
Town 5.130 15.988 1.637 11.957 10.798 22.324 22.755 431
Settlement 291 688 127 597 509 1.138 1.106 -32
Qeqqata Kommunia
Total 2.221 6.088 948 4.850 4.407 9.305 9.257 -48
Town 1.927 5.269 840 4.191 3.845 8.105 8.036 -69
Settlement 294 819 108 659 562 1.200 1.221 21
Kommune Qeqertalik
Total 1.410 4.055 715 3.268 2.912 6.312 6.180 -132
Town 1.203 3.520 644 2.816 2.551 5.478 5.367 -111
Settlement 207 535 71 452 361 834 813 -21
Avannaata Kommunia
Total 2.598 7.320 990 5.761 5.147 10.820 10.908 88
Town 1.837 5.315 759 4.145 3.766 7.833 7.911 78
Settlement 761 2.005 231 1.616 1.381 2.987 2.997 10
Outside municipalities
Total NA 62 2 47 17 68 64 -4

Source: Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank https://bank.stat.gl/BEESTB

The population estimate in both Avannaata Kommunia and Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq increased while it decreased in the other municipalities. The increase was particularly strong again in Nuuk City, where the increase is calculated at 461 people. 34.1 pct. of the country’s population now live in Nuuk.

Source: Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank https://bank.stat.gl/BEESTNUK

Chart 2 shows the development in migrations in the period 1993-2021. Until 2020, each year an average of 374 more people left Greenland. In 2021, 1,962 immigrants and 2,182 emigrants were undertaken. The net emigration in 2021 was therefore 222 people.

Source: Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank https://bank.stat.gl/BEEBBIU2

Based on preliminary data the number of live births and deaths in 2021, the main figures for the population account are shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Population Account 2013-2022
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Population (start of year) 56.370 56.282 55.983 55.847 55.860 55.877 55.992 56.081 56.421 56.562
Birth 820 805 854 830 853 819 849 835 761 -
Immigration 2.066 2.148 2.186 2.451 2.287 2.316 2.310 1.911 1.962 -
Emigration 2.513 2.733 2.691 2.763 2.736 2.514 2.609 1.953 2.184 -
Death 444 461 472 487 499 487 548 521 531 -
Correction -17 -58 -13 -18 112 -19 87 68 133 -
Population (end of year) 56.282 55.983 55.847 55.860 55.877 55.992 56.081 56.421 56.562 -

Source: Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank https://bank.stat.gl/BEECALC

In StatBank Greenland’s tables, the population is no longer calculated separately for sheep farms, as this information is not maintained in any administrative register. Sheep farms are now counted in the localities they are listed in the Greenland Address Register (GAR). To enable comparisons over time, StatBank Greenland’s tables have been recalculated on the basis of this information. The total number of inhabitants in the country’s settlements is now calculated a little higher than previous, as it now also includes sheep farms etc. When localities are grouped according to their size, the declining population of the localities is seen. Only the capital and the main settlements have experienced increasing population in recent years.

Table 4. Population by size of localities 2013-2022
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Total 56.370 56.282 55.983 55.847 55.860 55.877 55.992 56.081 56.421 56.562
Capital city 16.454 16.818 16.992 17.316 17.600 17.796 17.984 18.326 18.800 19.261
Main settlements 16.517 16.411 16.333 16.212 16.173 16.275 16.295 16.299 16.345 16.242
Larger settlements 13.530 13.356 13.308 13.081 12.958 12.891 12.924 12.861 12.679 12.558
Settlements 5.628 5.188 4.818 5.206 4.961 5.144 4.924 5.031 5.005 4.377
Smaller settlements 3.764 4.012 4.030 3.512 3.707 3.280 3.387 3.124 3.171 3.590
Smallest settlements 246 271 372 399 355 390 393 366 353 470
Other localities 231 226 130 121 106 101 85 74 68 64

Source: Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank https://bank.stat.gl/BEESTA

Many of the StatBank tables on population divide this by place of birth, in or outside Greenland. As a new table in 2021, the population can now be divided according to own, parents’ and grandparents’ place of birth.Of 6,060 people in 2021 who were born outside Greenland, 1,153 were born to at least one Greenlandic-born parent.The table must be updated with supplementary information from CPR, and when they are ready, the link under this table will contain the latest 2022 figures, from the end of February 2022.

Table 5. Extended place of birth 2013-2021
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
I alt 56.282 55.983 55.847 55.860 55.877 55.992 56.081 56.421 54.840
A Født i Grønland med to grønlandskfødte forældre 46.371 46.290 46.246 46.245 46.316 46.386 46.350 46.460 45.843
B Udenlandskfødte med 2 udenlandskfødte forældre 4.939 4.720 4.696 4.656 4.591 4.620 4.782 4.907 4.073
C Grønlandskfødte med 2 udenlandskfødte forældre 378 376 349 350 361 365 362 373 337
E Udenlandskfødte med én grønlandskfødt forælder 661 667 656 674 669 657 635 652 628
F Grønlandskfødte med én udenlandskfødt forælder 3.534 3.517 3.485 3.496 3.490 3.497 3.475 3.528 3.462
G Udenlandskfødte med to grønlandskfødte forældre 399 413 415 439 450 467 477 501 497

Source: Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank https://bank.stat.gl/BEEST9

Livebirths 2021

The number of live births in a calendar year is partly explained by how many women there are to give birth to children and partly by how many children each woman gives birth to on average (fertility). Although in these years there will be fewer women of childbearing ages than before, Chart 4 shows a large decrease in fertility for the 20-30-year-old women in 2021, here compared with 2015 and 2020. Chart 5 shows that the decrease in total fertility is particularly strong for women residing outside the capital and the main localities..

Source:
1945-1949, Statistics Denmark, Statistical Yearbook
Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank 1950-2021 https://bank.stat.gl/BEESAT2

Source: Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank https://bank.stat.gl/BEEBBSF

Source: Statistics Greenland – See table in StatBank https://bank.stat.gl/BEEBBSF