Iceland has an annual birth rate of 11 births per 1,000 people, compared to 9.4 for Norway. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.59 in Iceland and 1.4 in Norway — 11.9% difference.
1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -62.9% in Iceland and by -50.9% in Norway — in 1960, it was 4.29 and 2.85, respectively.
Birth rates facts compared:
- Iceland is ranked 132/196 by birth rate compared to 156/196 for Norway.
- The mean age for first-time mothers is 28.8 years in Iceland, compared to 30.1 years in Norway.
- The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 31 in Iceland — it's 31.7 in Norway.
- Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 3.37 in Iceland vs 1.41 in Norway.
- In Iceland, 23.7% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 22.4% in Norway.
- Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +0.44% in Iceland and +0.15% in Norway.
Birth rate data compared
Iceland
|
Norway
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Fertility rate | 1.59 | 1.4 |
| Birth rate | 11 | 9.4 |
| Birth rate rank | 132/196 | 156/196 |
| Age at first childbirth | 28.8 years | 30.1 years |
| Average age at childbearing | 31 years | 31.7 years |
| Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 2.82 | 1.17 |
| Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 | 68.4 | 52.9 |
| Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ | 20.4 | 18.6 |
| Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population | 23.7% | 22.4% |
| Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 | n/a | 69.2% |
| Share of births attended by skilled health staff | 97.4% | 99.2% |
| Maternal mortality per live birth | 0.003% | 0.001% |
| Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) | 0.13% | 0.13% |
| Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) | 0.19% | 0.19% |
| Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births | 0.26% | 0.24% |
| Population change due to births and deaths | +1,730 | +8,280 |
| Natural population change rank | 138/196 | 118/196 |
| Natural population change rate | +0.44% | +0.15% |
| Population growth | +2.86% | +0.95% |
| Population growth rank | 21/197 | 107/197 |
| Life expectancy | 83.2 years | 83.6 years |
Fertility rate in Iceland vs Norway chart
According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Iceland was 1.59 children per woman in 2023, compared to 1.4 in Norway in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.
Check Iceland vs Norway population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.
The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.
Iceland
Factual
UN forecast
Norway
Factual
UN forecast
Births per woman
| Year | Fertility rate | |
|---|---|---|
|
Iceland
|
Norway
|
|
| 1960 | 4.29 | 2.85 |
| 1961 | 3.88 | 2.94 |
| 1962 | 3.98 | 2.91 |
| 1963 | 3.99 | 2.93 |
| 1964 | 3.88 | 2.98 |
| 1965 | 3.73 | 2.94 |
| 1966 | 3.59 | 2.9 |
| 1967 | 3.28 | 2.81 |
| 1968 | 3.06 | 2.75 |
| 1969 | 2.99 | 2.7 |
| 1970 | 2.81 | 2.5 |
| 1971 | 2.92 | 2.49 |
| 1972 | 3.09 | 2.38 |
| 1973 | 2.94 | 2.23 |
| 1974 | 2.66 | 2.13 |
| 1975 | 2.65 | 1.98 |
| 1976 | 2.52 | 1.86 |
| 1977 | 2.31 | 1.75 |
| 1978 | 2.35 | 1.77 |
| 1979 | 2.49 | 1.75 |
| 1980 | 2.48 | 1.72 |
| 1981 | 2.33 | 1.7 |
| 1982 | 2.27 | 1.71 |
| 1983 | 2.24 | 1.66 |
| 1984 | 2.08 | 1.66 |
| 1985 | 1.93 | 1.68 |
| 1986 | 1.92 | 1.71 |
| 1987 | 2.06 | 1.74 |
| 1988 | 2.26 | 1.84 |
| 1989 | 2.19 | 1.89 |
| 1990 | 2.3 | 1.93 |
| 1991 | 2.18 | 1.92 |
| 1992 | 2.21 | 1.88 |
| 1993 | 2.22 | 1.86 |
| 1994 | 2.14 | 1.87 |
| 1995 | 2.08 | 1.87 |
| 1996 | 2.12 | 1.89 |
| 1997 | 2.04 | 1.86 |
| 1998 | 2.05 | 1.81 |
| 1999 | 1.99 | 1.85 |
| 2000 | 2.08 | 1.85 |
| 2001 | 1.95 | 1.78 |
| 2002 | 1.93 | 1.75 |
| 2003 | 1.99 | 1.8 |
| 2004 | 2.04 | 1.83 |
| 2005 | 2.05 | 1.84 |
| 2006 | 2.08 | 1.9 |
| 2007 | 2.09 | 1.9 |
| 2008 | 2.15 | 1.96 |
| 2009 | 2.23 | 1.98 |
| 2010 | 2.2 | 1.95 |
| 2011 | 2.02 | 1.88 |
| 2012 | 2.04 | 1.85 |
| 2013 | 1.93 | 1.78 |
| 2014 | 1.93 | 1.75 |
| 2015 | 1.8 | 1.72 |
| 2016 | 1.74 | 1.71 |
| 2017 | 1.71 | 1.62 |
| 2018 | 1.71 | 1.56 |
| 2019 | 1.74 | 1.53 |
| 2020 | 1.72 | 1.48 |
| 2021 | 1.82 | 1.55 |
| 2022 | 1.59 | 1.41 |
| 2023 | 1.59 | 1.4 |
| 2024 | 1.57 | 1.41 |
| 2025 | 1.55 | 1.41 |
| 2026 | 1.54 | 1.41 |
| 2027 | 1.53 | 1.42 |
| 2028 | 1.53 | 1.42 |
| 2029 | 1.53 | 1.43 |
| 2030 | 1.52 | 1.43 |
| 2031 | 1.52 | 1.43 |
| 2032 | 1.52 | 1.44 |
| 2033 | 1.53 | 1.44 |
| 2034 | 1.53 | 1.45 |
| 2035 | 1.53 | 1.45 |
| 2036 | 1.53 | 1.45 |
| 2037 | 1.53 | 1.46 |
| 2038 | 1.53 | 1.46 |
| 2039 | 1.54 | 1.46 |
| 2040 | 1.54 | 1.47 |
| 2041 | 1.54 | 1.47 |
| 2042 | 1.54 | 1.47 |
| 2043 | 1.54 | 1.48 |
| 2044 | 1.54 | 1.48 |
| 2045 | 1.54 | 1.48 |
| 2046 | 1.55 | 1.48 |
| 2047 | 1.55 | 1.48 |
| 2048 | 1.55 | 1.49 |
| 2049 | 1.55 | 1.49 |
| 2050 | 1.56 | 1.49 |
Children 0-14 years as share of population
Iceland
Factual
UN forecast
Norway
Factual
UN forecast
| Year | Share of people 0-14 years old | |
|---|---|---|
|
Iceland
|
Norway
|
|
| 1960 | 34.9% | 25.9% |
| 1961 | 35% | 25.6% |
| 1962 | 34.9% | 25.2% |
| 1963 | 34.9% | 25% |
| 1964 | 34.7% | 24.8% |
| 1965 | 34.5% | 24.8% |
| 1966 | 34.3% | 24.7% |
| 1967 | 34% | 24.7% |
| 1968 | 33.6% | 24.6% |
| 1969 | 33.2% | 24.5% |
| 1970 | 32.6% | 24.5% |
| 1971 | 32.1% | 24.4% |
| 1972 | 31.6% | 24.3% |
| 1973 | 31.2% | 24.2% |
| 1974 | 30.7% | 24% |
| 1975 | 30.1% | 23.8% |
| 1976 | 29.5% | 23.5% |
| 1977 | 29% | 23.3% |
| 1978 | 28.4% | 22.9% |
| 1979 | 27.9% | 22.6% |
| 1980 | 27.5% | 22.2% |
| 1981 | 27.2% | 21.8% |
| 1982 | 26.9% | 21.3% |
| 1983 | 26.7% | 20.9% |
| 1984 | 26.5% | 20.4% |
| 1985 | 26.2% | 20% |
| 1986 | 25.9% | 19.6% |
| 1987 | 25.6% | 19.3% |
| 1988 | 25.2% | 19.1% |
| 1989 | 25% | 19% |
| 1990 | 25% | 18.9% |
| 1991 | 24.8% | 19% |
| 1992 | 24.8% | 19.1% |
| 1993 | 24.8% | 19.3% |
| 1994 | 24.7% | 19.4% |
| 1995 | 24.4% | 19.5% |
| 1996 | 24.1% | 19.6% |
| 1997 | 23.9% | 19.7% |
| 1998 | 23.6% | 19.8% |
| 1999 | 23.4% | 19.9% |
| 2000 | 23.3% | 20% |
| 2001 | 23.2% | 20% |
| 2002 | 23% | 20% |
| 2003 | 22.8% | 19.9% |
| 2004 | 22.5% | 19.8% |
| 2005 | 22.1% | 19.6% |
| 2006 | 21.5% | 19.4% |
| 2007 | 21.1% | 19.3% |
| 2008 | 20.9% | 19.1% |
| 2009 | 20.9% | 18.9% |
| 2010 | 20.9% | 18.8% |
| 2011 | 20.8% | 18.6% |
| 2012 | 20.7% | 18.4% |
| 2013 | 20.6% | 18.3% |
| 2014 | 20.4% | 18.1% |
| 2015 | 20.2% | 18% |
| 2016 | 19.9% | 17.9% |
| 2017 | 19.6% | 17.8% |
| 2018 | 19.2% | 17.6% |
| 2019 | 18.9% | 17.4% |
| 2020 | 18.7% | 17.2% |
| 2021 | 18.6% | 17% |
| 2022 | 18.4% | 16.8% |
| 2023 | 18.1% | 16.5% |
| 2024 | 17.8% | 16.2% |
| 2025 | 17.5% | 15.9% |
| 2026 | 17.3% | 15.7% |
| 2027 | 17.1% | 15.4% |
| 2028 | 17% | 15.2% |
| 2029 | 16.8% | 15% |
| 2030 | 16.7% | 14.8% |
| 2031 | 16.6% | 14.7% |
| 2032 | 16.5% | 14.5% |
| 2033 | 16.3% | 14.4% |
| 2034 | 16.1% | 14.3% |
| 2035 | 15.9% | 14.2% |
| 2036 | 15.6% | 14.1% |
| 2037 | 15.4% | 14% |
| 2038 | 15.2% | 14% |
| 2039 | 15% | 14% |
| 2040 | 14.8% | 13.9% |
| 2041 | 14.7% | 13.9% |
| 2042 | 14.5% | 13.9% |
| 2043 | 14.4% | 13.9% |
| 2044 | 14.2% | 13.9% |
| 2045 | 14.1% | 13.9% |
| 2046 | 14% | 13.9% |
| 2047 | 13.9% | 13.9% |
| 2048 | 13.8% | 13.9% |
| 2049 | 13.7% | 13.9% |
| 2050 | 13.6% | 13.9% |
Children aged 0-14 make up 17.8% of the population in Iceland and 16.2% in Norway in 2024, compared to 25% and 18.9% respectively in 1990.
Natural population change in Iceland vs Norway by year
For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.57% in Iceland and +0.26% in Norway. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.
Iceland
Norway
Natural population change
| Year | Population change due to births and deaths | |
|---|---|---|
|
Iceland
|
Norway
|
|
| 1960 | 3,758 | 29,366 |
| 1961 | 3,312 | 29,239 |
| 1962 | 3,465 | 28,020 |
| 1963 | 3,490 | 26,766 |
| 1964 | 3,459 | 30,293 |
| 1965 | 3,442 | 31,275 |
| 1966 | 3,305 | 31,150 |
| 1967 | 3,021 | 30,276 |
| 1968 | 2,841 | 29,387 |
| 1969 | 2,766 | 28,858 |
| 1970 | 2,576 | 25,968 |
| 1971 | 2,782 | 26,541 |
| 1972 | 3,241 | 24,777 |
| 1973 | 3,121 | 21,387 |
| 1974 | 2,776 | 20,324 |
| 1975 | 2,965 | 16,430 |
| 1976 | 2,951 | 13,286 |
| 1977 | 2,551 | 11,321 |
| 1978 | 2,727 | 11,364 |
| 1979 | 2,980 | 10,181 |
| 1980 | 2,966 | 9,806 |
| 1981 | 2,677 | 9,020 |
| 1982 | 2,736 | 9,875 |
| 1983 | 2,702 | 7,844 |
| 1984 | 2,539 | 7,452 |
| 1985 | 2,221 | 6,644 |
| 1986 | 2,384 | 8,751 |
| 1987 | 2,360 | 9,212 |
| 1988 | 2,847 | 12,207 |
| 1989 | 2,832 | 13,949 |
| 1990 | 3,058 | 14,845 |
| 1991 | 2,733 | 16,194 |
| 1992 | 2,898 | 15,431 |
| 1993 | 2,875 | 12,936 |
| 1994 | 2,713 | 16,045 |
| 1995 | 2,354 | 14,821 |
| 1996 | 2,447 | 17,087 |
| 1997 | 2,305 | 15,418 |
| 1998 | 2,357 | 14,181 |
| 1999 | 2,192 | 14,278 |
| 2000 | 2,475 | 15,269 |
| 2001 | 2,365 | 13,090 |
| 2002 | 2,243 | 10,892 |
| 2003 | 2,317 | 14,151 |
| 2004 | 2,425 | 15,612 |
| 2005 | 2,433 | 15,719 |
| 2006 | 2,491 | 17,244 |
| 2007 | 2,617 | 16,482 |
| 2008 | 2,825 | 19,073 |
| 2009 | 3,026 | 20,280 |
| 2010 | 2,862 | 20,046 |
| 2011 | 2,521 | 18,822 |
| 2012 | 2,566 | 18,066 |
| 2013 | 2,169 | 17,779 |
| 2014 | 2,324 | 18,494 |
| 2015 | 1,952 | 18,160 |
| 2016 | 1,711 | 17,797 |
| 2017 | 1,854 | 15,831 |
| 2018 | 1,975 | 14,342 |
| 2019 | 2,163 | 13,904 |
| 2020 | 2,199 | 12,372 |
| 2021 | 2,534 | 14,062 |
| 2022 | 1,719 | 5,457 |
| 2023 | 1,730 | 8,280 |
Fertility rates around the globe
Fertility rate
Maternal mortality chart: Iceland vs Norway
The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 3 deaths per 100,000 live births in Iceland, compared to 1 deaths in Norway.
Iceland
Norway
| Year | Maternal mortality per 100K births | |
|---|---|---|
|
Iceland
|
Norway
|
|
| 1985 | 11 | 9 |
| 1986 | 15 | 9 |
| 1987 | 13 | 9 |
| 1988 | 11 | 9 |
| 1989 | 14 | 9 |
| 1990 | 13 | 9 |
| 1991 | 11 | 8 |
| 1992 | 12 | 8 |
| 1993 | 10 | 7 |
| 1994 | 9 | 7 |
| 1995 | 13 | 6 |
| 1996 | 7 | 6 |
| 1997 | 8 | 5 |
| 1998 | 8 | 5 |
| 1999 | 7 | 5 |
| 2000 | 7 | 5 |
| 2001 | 6 | 5 |
| 2002 | 7 | 5 |
| 2003 | 6 | 5 |
| 2004 | 6 | 6 |
| 2005 | 5 | 6 |
| 2006 | 5 | 5 |
| 2007 | 5 | 5 |
| 2008 | 4 | 5 |
| 2009 | 5 | 4 |
| 2010 | 5 | 4 |
| 2011 | 4 | 4 |
| 2012 | 4 | 3 |
| 2013 | 4 | 3 |
| 2014 | 4 | 2 |
| 2015 | 4 | 2 |
| 2016 | 3 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 | 2 |
| 2018 | 4 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 | 2 |
| 2020 | 12 | 2 |
| 2021 | 5 | 2 |
| 2022 | 5 | 3 |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 |
Under-five mortality rates
The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.26% in Iceland and 0.24% in Norway. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.
Iceland
Norway
Probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five
| Year | Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births | |
|---|---|---|
|
Iceland
|
Norway
|
|
| 1960 | 2.14% | 2.26% |
| 1961 | 2.11% | 2.21% |
| 1962 | 2.07% | 2.15% |
| 1963 | 2.02% | 2.1% |
| 1964 | 1.97% | 2.04% |
| 1965 | 1.92% | 1.97% |
| 1966 | 1.85% | 1.9% |
| 1967 | 1.79% | 1.82% |
| 1968 | 1.72% | 1.75% |
| 1969 | 1.66% | 1.69% |
| 1970 | 1.6% | 1.62% |
| 1971 | 1.54% | 1.56% |
| 1972 | 1.48% | 1.5% |
| 1973 | 1.41% | 1.43% |
| 1974 | 1.35% | 1.36% |
| 1975 | 1.29% | 1.29% |
| 1976 | 1.22% | 1.22% |
| 1977 | 1.15% | 1.15% |
| 1978 | 1.09% | 1.09% |
| 1979 | 1.03% | 1.04% |
| 1980 | 0.97% | 1.01% |
| 1981 | 0.92% | 0.99% |
| 1982 | 0.87% | 0.99% |
| 1983 | 0.83% | 1% |
| 1984 | 0.79% | 1.01% |
| 1985 | 0.75% | 1.02% |
| 1986 | 0.73% | 1.02% |
| 1987 | 0.7% | 1.01% |
| 1988 | 0.67% | 0.98% |
| 1989 | 0.65% | 0.93% |
| 1990 | 0.63% | 0.87% |
| 1991 | 0.61% | 0.79% |
| 1992 | 0.58% | 0.72% |
| 1993 | 0.56% | 0.66% |
| 1994 | 0.54% | 0.61% |
| 1995 | 0.52% | 0.57% |
| 1996 | 0.49% | 0.54% |
| 1997 | 0.47% | 0.52% |
| 1998 | 0.45% | 0.51% |
| 1999 | 0.42% | 0.5% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | 0.49% |
| 2001 | 0.38% | 0.47% |
| 2002 | 0.36% | 0.46% |
| 2003 | 0.34% | 0.44% |
| 2004 | 0.33% | 0.42% |
| 2005 | 0.31% | 0.41% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | 0.39% |
| 2007 | 0.29% | 0.37% |
| 2008 | 0.28% | 0.36% |
| 2009 | 0.27% | 0.34% |
| 2010 | 0.27% | 0.33% |
| 2011 | 0.27% | 0.31% |
| 2012 | 0.26% | 0.3% |
| 2013 | 0.26% | 0.29% |
| 2014 | 0.26% | 0.28% |
| 2015 | 0.26% | 0.27% |
| 2016 | 0.26% | 0.26% |
| 2017 | 0.26% | 0.25% |
| 2018 | 0.27% | 0.25% |
| 2019 | 0.27% | 0.24% |
| 2020 | 0.27% | 0.24% |
| 2021 | 0.27% | 0.23% |
| 2022 | 0.26% | 0.23% |
| 2023 | 0.26% | 0.24% |
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