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Greenland in numbers: eight key statistics to
understand the world?s largest island
Society & Culture[1]
Society & Culture[1]Greenland Science Special [2]statistics [3]Denmark [4]Videnskab.dk [5]
GREENLAND: The world?s largest island nation is emerging as education, life expectancy, and
immigration are increasing. Learn more about Greenland from these key statistics.
SCIENCE IN GREENLAND [2]
Kalaallit Nunaat--popularly known as Greenland--is the world’s largest island, taking up a whopping
2,180,000 square kilometres of land in the Arctic.
For some, Greenland is inconceivably large. And along with the Faeroe Islands, it actually makes The
Kingdom of Denmark the world’s 12th largest country.
Discover more about this vast island nation through these eight key statistics.
1: Greenland has the world’s lowest population density
According to the World Bank, Greenland has the lowest population density out of all other countries, with a
population of 55,847 (as of 1st January 2016) spread out over 2,180,000 square kilometres.
That corresponds to 39 square kilometres for each Greenland citizen and a population density of 0.025
people per square kilometre. This increases to 0.14 square kilometres if only the habitable areas are
considered (i.e. minus the ice sheet).
But even then, Greenland retains its status as the world’s least densely populated nation, second only to
Mongolia at 1.87 people per square kilometre.
2. Greenlanders are becoming urbanites
Even though Greenland is built upon a seemingly unending variety of nature, its citizens are becoming
increasingly urbanised. In 1977, 33 per cent of all Greenlanders lived in ‘rural’ areas. This shrank to just 14
per cent in 2015.
Social scientist Birger Poppel, from Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland), Nuuk, underlines that this
does not necessarily represent people moving from the countryside into towns.
"It’s not so much that Greenlanders move from rural to urban areas. It’s more that they move from a village
or small town to a bigger city,” says Poppel.
Greenland’s urban areas are made up of 18 towns, about 60 smaller settlements, and a number of sheep
farms throughout southern Greenland.
3: Greenlanders are not having enough children
In 2014, Greenland’s fertility rate was 2.01 children per woman, which was less than the 2.1 rate needed to
maintain the current level of population.
Adding to this, Greenland has a high abortion rate in comparison with other Nordic countries. In 2012, there
were 53.4 abortions per 1000 women (aged between 15 and 49 years). This compares to just 12.4 in
Denmark, for example.
Between 2004 and 2008, more children were aborted than were born in Greenland, however this started to
change after 2009.
4: Low level of education, but it is increasing
Even though the population’s general level of education is rather low in comparison with other Nordic
nations, there have been signs of progress in the last 10 years.
Today, 36 per cent of the population are educated beyond high school level, compared to 30 per cent 10
years ago. This compares with 67 per cent in Denmark, although this is not really a fair comparison, says
Poppel.
“It’s not fair to say that an experienced fisherman doesn’t have an education. He has acquired some real
skills in practice and he works with his education, he just doesn’t have a piece of paper to show it," he says.
Greenland’s education statistics only include people who received state support so the actual numbers could
in fact be higher.
5: Growing investment in education and training
Expansion of higher education was no accident. Greenland’s home rule Government has focused on
education and education spending accounts for nearly 14 per cent of Greenland's GDP. In comparison, the
EU average is about 5.3 percent.
6: Economic growth is shrinking
Greenland’s GDP per capita was around 100,000 Danish kroner (DKK) in 2014 (equivalent to about
US$15,285 today). This represents a small decline on previous years, when adjusted for inflation.
According to figures from Greenland Statistics, GDP fell by 1.6 percent in 2014. This was the third year in
row where the economy was in decline, and was attributed to declining productivity in the construction
industry.
In absolute terms, Greenland had a GDP of 13.7 billion DKK in 2014 (around US$2 billion). This compares
with 1,943 billion DKK in Denmark (around US$297 billion).
7: Life expectancy is increasing
Life expectancy has risen by almost five years for both men and women in Greenland over the past 20 years.
A newborn baby boy can expect to live to the age of 68.5 in Greenland, while a women can expect to live
until 73.7.
This compares to 78 years for Danish men and 81.9 years for Danish women.
8: Immigration from Asia is on the rise
Greenland’s demographics have changed significantly since the late 1970s.
While the number of Swedish and Norwegian immigrants has fallen, the number of new arrivals from
Iceland, Thailand, and the Philippines, has risen sharply.
------------Read the Danish version of this article on Videnskab.dk [6]
Greenland is in many ways an emerging country. In the capital city, Nuuk, traditional coloured
wooden houses stand alongside newly constructed high-rises. (Photo: Shutterstock) [7]
nuuk_-_groenland_i_tal_1.jpg [8]
Fact box
Science in Greenland [2]
ScienceNordic.com is in Greenland in May to cover research in and about the Arctic.
We'll be covering everything from social conditions, mineral extraction, biodiversity, education,
archaeology, and climate.
See our full list of "Science in Greenland" articles, which will be updated throughout May. [2]
American adventurer captured 1930's Greenland on film [9] Inuit reclaim cultural heritage in new digital
atlas [10] Q&A: What is it like to be a scientist in Greenland? [11] Researchers help give Greenland?s
homeless a voice [12] Diabetes epidemic threatens Greenland [13]
Birger Poppel [14]
Rasmus Kerrn-Jespersen [15]
Catherine Jex
June 12, 2016 - 06:25
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Links:
[1] http://sciencenordic.com/category/section/society-culture
[2] http://sciencenordic.com/greenland-science-special
[3] http://sciencenordic.com/statistics
[4] http://sciencenordic.com/category/countries/denmark
[5] http://sciencenordic.com/category/publisher/videnskabdk
[6] http://videnskab.dk/kultur-samfund/gronland-i-tal-forsta-verdens-storste-o-gennem-statistik
[7] http://sciencenordic.com/sites/default/files/nuuk_-_groenland_i_tal_1.jpg
[8] http://sciencenordic.com/sites/default/files/nuuk_-_groenland_i_tal_1_0.jpg
[9] http://sciencenordic.com/american-adventurer-captured-1930s-greenland-film
[10] http://sciencenordic.com/inuit-reclaim-cultural-heritage-new-digital-atlas
[11] http://sciencenordic.com/qa-what-it-be-scientist-greenland
[12] http://sciencenordic.com/researchers-help-give-greenland%E2%80%99s-homeless-voice
[13] http://sciencenordic.com/diabetes-epidemic-threatens-greenland
[14] http://da.uni.gl/find-personale/afdeling-for-samfundsvidenskab/birger-poppel.aspx
[15] http://sciencenordic.com/content/rasmus-kerrn-jespersen