The Faroe Islands were already populated by ca. A.D. 500, but whether the settlers were Celtic or early Norse (or someone else) has yet to be determined. The islands served as an important stepping stone for Medieval Viking exploration of the North Atlantic and Viking settlers arrived on the islands in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century and today the Faroe Islands are a self-governing dependency of Denmark. The Home Rule Act of 1948 granted a high degree of self-government to the Faroese, who have autonomy over most internal affairs and external trade, while Denmark is responsible for justice, defense, and some foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union.
land: 1,393 sq km
water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
arable land: 2.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
forest: 0.1% (2018 est.)
other: 97.8% (2018 est.)
52,600 (2023 est.)
noun: Faroese (singular and plural)
adjective: Faroese
Faroese 85.3% (Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon descent), Danish 8.3%, other Nordic 1.4%, other 4.5% (includes Filipino, Poland, Romanian) (2022 est.)
note: data represent respondents by country of birth
Faroese 93.8% (derived from Old Norse), Danish 3.2%, other 3% (2011 est.)
note: data represent population by primary language
Christian 89.3% (predominantly Evangelical Lutheran), other 1%, none 3.8%, unspecified 6% (2011 est.)
0-14 years: 19.9% (male 5,415/female 5,053)
15-64 years: 61.94% (male 17,211/female 15,367)
65 years and over: 18.16% (2023 est.) (male 4,621/female 4,933)
total dependency ratio: 62.8
youth dependency ratio: 33.6
elderly dependency ratio: 29.1
potential support ratio: 3.4 (2021)
total: 36.8 years (2023 est.)
male: 36.8 years
female: 36.8 years
0.63% (2023 est.)
14.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
the island of Streymoy is by far the most populous with over 40% of the population; it has approximately twice as many inhabitants as Eysturoy, the second most populous island; seven of the inhabited islands have fewer than 100 people
urban population: 43% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
21,000 TORSHAVN (capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
total: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 81.5 years (2023 est.)
male: 79 years
female: 84.2 years
2.28 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.1 (2023 est.)
NA
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020)
NA
2.62 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
4.2 beds/1,000 population (2016)
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
NA
34.8% (2023 est.)
7.6% of GDP (2019 est.)
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
coastal erosion, landslides and rockfalls, flash flooding, wind storms; oil spills
mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
agricultural land: 2.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 2.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
forest: 0.1% (2018 est.)
other: 97.8% (2018 est.)
urban population: 43% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0% of GDP (2017 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.63 megatons (2016 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 61,000 tons (2014 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 40,870 tons (2012 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 67% (2012 est.)
0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
high-income Danish territorial economy; party neither to the EU nor the Schengen Area; associate Nordic Council member; very low unemployment; unique foreign ownership allowance in fishing industry; known salmon exporter; growing IT industries
$2.001 billion (2014 est.)
$1.89 billion (2013 est.)
$1.608 billion (2012 est.)
5.9% (2017 est.)
7.5% (2016 est.)
2.4% (2015 est.)
$40,000 (2014 est.)
$2.765 billion (2014 est.)
-0.3% (2016)
-1.7% (2015)
agriculture: 18% (2013 est.)
industry: 39% (2013 est.)
services: 43% (2013 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 52% (2013)
government consumption: 29.6% (2013)
investment in fixed capital: 18.4% (2013)
potatoes, mutton, sheep skins, sheep offals, beef, sheep fat, cattle offals, cattle hides, cattle fat
fishing, fish processing, tourism, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts
3.4% (2009 est.)
27,540 (2017 est.)
2.2% (2017 est.)
3.4% (2016 est.)
10% (2015 est.)
22.7 (2013 est.)
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
revenues: $835.6 million (2014 est.)
expenditures: $883.8 million (2014)
note: Denmark supplies the Faroe Islands with almost one-third of its public funds
-1.7% (of GDP) (2014 est.)
35% of GDP (2014 est.)
30.2% (of GDP) (2014 est.)
calendar year
$1.184 billion (2016 est.)
$1.019 billion (2015 est.)
Russia 26.4%, UK 14.1%, Germany 8.4%, China 7.9%, Spain 6.8%, Denmark 6.2%, US 4.7%, Poland 4.4%, Norway 4.1% (2017)
fish and fish products (2021)
$978.4 million (2016 est.)
$906.1 million (2015 est.)
Denmark 33%, China 10.7%, Germany 7.6%, Poland 6.8%, Norway 6.7%, Ireland 5%, Chile 4.3% (2017)
goods for household consumption, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials and semi-manufactures, cars
$387.6 million (2012)
$274.5 million (2010)
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
6.287 (2021 est.)
6.542 (2020 est.)
6.669 (2019 est.)
6.315 (2018 est.)
6.603 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 128,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 358.64 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 23.16 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 58.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 15.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 26% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 5,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
4,555 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
870,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 870,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
0 Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) (registered in Denmark)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3 (registered in Denmark)
OY-H
1 (2021)
1
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
total: 960 km (2017)
paved: 500 km (2017)
unpaved: 460 km (2017)
note: those islands not connected by roads (bridges or tunnels) are connected by seven different ferry links operated by the nationally owned company SSL; 28 km of tunnels
total: 91 (2022)
by type: container ships 6, general cargo 43, other 42
major seaport(s): Fuglafjordur, Torshavn, Vagur
manyapis