Greenland Population
Greenland had an estimated population of 56,831 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 201st most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.00% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of −0.01% a year.
Greenland at a glance
How Greenland's population is changing
Greenland's population is roughly stable: −0.01% a year, which works out to about −5 people per year, or −0 a day. Births (12.0 per 1,000) and deaths (9.3 per 1,000) alone would give +0.27% a year; net migration removes about 265 people a year (−0.47%). Roughly one in every 144,559 people on Earth lives in Greenland.
Population of Greenland since 1960
In 1960, Greenland had 32,500 people. By 2025 that was 56,831 — 1.7× larger. The fastest growth came between 1960 and 1970, when the population rose by 43%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 32,500 | — |
| 1970 | 46,400 | +42.8% |
| 1980 | 50,200 | +8.2% |
| 1990 | 55,600 | +10.8% |
| 2000 | 56,185 | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 56,534 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 56,367 | −0.3% |
| 2025 | 56,831 | +0.8% |
Greenland from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Greenland at about 3,929 people in 1800; the UN estimates 55,767 in 2025 (14× 1800) and projects 37,248 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2005 at 56,969 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 3,929 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 7,081 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 12,761 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 23,231 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 56,228 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 55,767 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 49,919 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 43,207 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 37,248 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Greenland
2 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 56,831. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuuk | 14,798 | GeoNames settlement | 26.04% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 2 | Sisimiut | 5,227 | GeoNames settlement | 9.20% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Greenland compares
Greenland has almost the same population as Faroe Islands (54,900).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Greenland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #199 |  Dominica | 65,871 | +16% | compare → |
| #200 |  Bermuda | 64,555 | +14% | compare → |
| #202 |  Faroe Islands | 54,900 | −3% | compare → |
| #203 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 46,922 | −17% | compare → |
Compare Greenland with any country →
Same region (Europe & Central Asia): Russia, Türkiye, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy.
Explore around Greenland
Nearest countries
Greenland has no land border. Closest by distance:
Iceland 392,404 · 6.9× the population · compare- Faroe Islands 54,900 · about the same population · compare
Canada 41,651,653 · 732.9× the population · compare
Ireland 5,484,367 · 96.5× the population · compare
In its region
Greenland is the 53rd most populous of the 58 economies in Europe & Central Asia, holding 0.0% of the region's 932,525,035 people.
Rankings featuring Greenland
Cities
Nuuk, Sisimiut — all Greenland's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Greenland when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
What changed during your lifetime?
Turn these figures into a private, five-scene personal world story.
Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.