The number of foreign nationals who reside permanently or temporally in Iceland continues to increase. According to the latest data from Registers Iceland a total of 44.156 foreign nationals lived in Iceland on December 1, 6,344 more than at the same time last year. This is an increase of 16,8%.
The immigration is explained by strong economic growth low unemployment in Iceland. Since December 1 2015 the number of foreign nationals who live in Iceland has grown from 26,387 to 44,156, an increase of 67.6%, going from 7.9% of the total population on December 1 2015 to 12.4% this year.
The single largest group of foreign national came from Poland. Polish citizens made up some 40% of all foreign nationals living in Iceland. More than half of all the foreign nationals come from Eastern Europe, most having come to Iceland to seek work. The construction industry, for example, has hired large numbers of Eastern European workers. A total of 19.190 Poles live in Iceland. The second largest group came from Lithuania, (4,094), followed by Latvians, (1,851) and Romanians (1.509).
The fifth largest group comes from Germany (1,227), followed by Portuguese (1,227), Brits 1,006) and Danes (980)..
The number of foreign nationals who reside permanently or temporally in Iceland continues to increase. According to the latest data from Registers Iceland a total of 44.156 foreign nationals lived in Iceland on December 1, 6,344 more than at the same time last year. This is an increase of 16,8%.
The immigration is explained by strong economic growth low unemployment in Iceland. Since December 1 2015 the number of foreign nationals who live in Iceland has grown from 26,387 to 44,156, an increase of 67.6%, going from 7.9% of the total population on December 1 2015 to 12.4% this year.
The single largest group of foreign national came from Poland. Polish citizens made up some 40% of all foreign nationals living in Iceland. More than half of all the foreign nationals come from Eastern Europe, most having come to Iceland to seek work. The construction industry, for example, has hired large numbers of Eastern European workers. A total of 19.190 Poles live in Iceland. The second largest group came from Lithuania, (4,094), followed by Latvians, (1,851) and Romanians (1.509).
The fifth largest group comes from Germany (1,227), followed by Portuguese (1,227), Brits 1,006) and Danes (980)..
