Net external migration in Iceland in 2025 was 3,167. This is somewhat fewer than in 2024, when immigration exceeded emigration by 4,044. Net migration peaked in 2022, when 8,660 more people moved to the country than away from it, but it has been steadily declining since then.
Total immigration to Iceland numbered 18,674 in 2025, down from 19,789 in 2024. Emigration for the year totaled 15,507, compared to 15,745 in 2024, which remains the year with the highest recorded number of individuals moving away from the country.
If only foreign citizens are considered, the migration balance was 3,512 in the year 2025 which is a decrease from the previous year, when the migration balance of foreign citizens was 4,183. In 2022 the migration balance of foreign citizens was 9,186. The migration balance among Icelandic citizens was negative, but there were 345 more emigrants than immigrants in 2025. The migration balance of Icelandic citizens was also negative in 2024 by 139.
Denmark the most popular country of destination for Icelandic citizens
Of the 4,946 Icelandic citizens who emigrated in 2025, a total of 3,505 migrated to Norway, Denmark or Sweden. Most of them emigrated to Denmark, or 1,997. These countries were also the major countries of origin for immigrating Icelandic citizens as 3,117 out of 4,603 immigrants came from these countries. Most came from Denmark, or 1,502.
Most of the foreign citizens emigrating from Iceland migrated to Poland, or 2,687 out of 10,561. Poland was also the largest contributor of immigrants with foreign citizenship, 2,798 persons out of 14,073 foreign immigrants. The second largest number of foreign citizens emigrated from Ukraine in 2025 (1,131 people).
Over 37% of immigrants and emigrants are in the age group 20–29
The largest age group among those who emigrated or immigrated in 2025 was 20–29 years old, or over 37%. However, the modal age of emigrants was 25 years (715) and the modal age of immigrants was also 25 years, or 930.
Most positive internal migration in the South region
When only considering internal migration between regions in the year 2025, the South region had the most positive internal migration (648), followed by the Westfjord region which had a positive internal migration of 65 and Northeast (62). The Southwest had the most negative internal migration (-414). Other regions with negative internal migration are the Capital region (-313), Northwest (-44) and East region (-43). When considering external migration, the Capital region experienced the most positive migration or 1,888, followed by the South region (487). No region experienced negative external net migration in 2025, and only three experienced negative net migration in total, Southwest (-75), East (-26) and the Norwest region (-19).
Methods
Statistics Iceland assesses migration on the basis of information on changes in legal domicile in the National Registry's Population Register and on Statistics Iceland’s assessment of individuals residence, see the report.
Migrations based on National Registry information are counted on the basis of the date of registration in the National Registry, but not based on when the migration took place. However, Statistics Iceland’s assessment date is used when migration is assessed according to Statistics Iceland’s method. This applies from 2011, but before that time only information on changes in legal domicile in the National Register was used.
When the country to which a person moves from Iceland is unknown, information on citizenship is used in the case of individuals with foreign citizenship, but for Icelandic citizens, they are randomly assigned to countries that have recorded migration of other Icelandic citizens.
Statistics
Internal migration
External migration