Geography
Climate: mild winters, cool summers.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Faroe Islands
EuropeLand of Contrasts
Faroe Islands is a place of striking contrasts. Explore the contradictions that define this area.
Faroe Islands is a place of striking contrasts. A top performer in gdp per capita (#14), it falls behind in forest coverage. Explore the contradictions that define this area.
62.0, -7.0 - Europe
Area
1K km²
Pop.
52.9K
Stats
52
Reality brief
Faroe Islands is a country in Europe with a population of 52.9K and an area of 1,393 km². Life expectancy is 83.1 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Internet Users (%)
98%#16globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$81,908.78#14globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
CO2 Per Capita
13.09 t/person/yr#15globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita
$70,428.96#16globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
83.1 years#19globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Faroe Islands
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include Faroese 93.8% (derived from Old Norse), Danish 3.2%, other 3% (2011 est.).
CIA 2026
Economy
Key industries include fishing, fish processing, tourism, small ship repair and refurbishment, and more.
CIA 2026
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Electricity Access (%)
100%#38globally
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
Elderly Population (%)
17.74%#46globally
Share of the population ages 65 and older, from World Bank Open Data.
Dependency Ratio
60.52% of working-age pop.#70globally
Dependents as a share of the working-age population, from World Bank Open Data.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #208 in forest area
#2080.80 km²Forest Area
Total forest area in square kilometers, including natural and planted trees at least 5 meters tall.
Only ranks #221 in airports
#2211.0Airports
Large, medium, and small airport records by country from the open OurAirports dataset.
Only ranks #206 in population
#20652.9KPopulation
The total number of people living in the country.
Only ranks #188 in teen birth rate
#1884.7 per 1kTeen Birth Rate
The number of births per 1,000 women aged 15-19.
Compared with the region
How Faroe Islands Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Faroe Islands
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $81,908.78
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Faroe Isla…$81,908.78
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+157% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 83.1 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Faroe Isla…83.1 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+13% above worldWB 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 98%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Faroe Isla…98%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+39% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Faroe Islands
Country briefing
The Faroe Islands were already populated by about A.D.
Read the full Factbook note
The Faroe Islands were already populated by about A.D. 500, but whether the original settlers were Celtic or early Norse (or someone else) has yet to be determined. Viking settlers arrived on the islands in the 9th century, and the islands served as an important stepping stone for medieval Viking exploration of the North Atlantic. 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.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Iceland and Norway
- Climate
- mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
- Terrain
- rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast
- Natural Resources
- fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
- Natural Hazards
- strong winds and heavy rains can occur throughout the year
- Size Comparison
- eight times the size of Washington, D.C.
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Faroese 93.8% (derived from Old Norse), Danish 3.2%, other 3% (2011 est.)
- Religions
- Christian 87% (predominantly Evangelical Lutheran), other 0.9%, none 3.7%, unspecified 8.9% (2011 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Faroese 83.8% (Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon descent), Danish 8.3%, Filipino 1.2%, other Nordic 0.9%, other 4.5% (includes Polish and Romanian) (2024 est.)
- Major Cities
- 21,000 TORSHAVN (capital) (2018)
Government & History8 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy (Faroese Parliament); part of the Kingdom of Denmark
- Capital
- Torshavn
- Capital Coordinates
- 62 00 N, 6 46 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- the archipelago's name derives from the Old Norse name Faeroyar, meaning "sheep islands;" faer means "sheep," and -oyar means "islands"
- Independence
- none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
- National Symbols
- ram
- National Anthem
- "Mitt alfagra land" (My Fairest Land)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- 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
- Industries
- fishing, fish processing, tourism, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts
- Agricultural Products
- milk, potatoes, lamb/mutton, sheepskins, sheep offal, beef, sheep fat, beef offal, cattle hides, beef suet (2023)
- Export Partners
- 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)
- Export Commodities
- fish and fish products (2021)
- Import Partners
- Denmark 33%, China 10.7%, Germany 7.6%, Poland 6.8%, Norway 6.7%, Ireland 5%, Chile 4.3% (2017)
- Import Commodities
- goods for household consumption, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials and semi-manufactures, cars
Infrastructure & Defense3 facts
- Military Forces
- no regular military forces or conscription
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 53.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 18.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 26.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 1 publicly owned TV station; the Faroese telecommunications company distributes local and international channels through its digital terrestrial network; publicly owned radio station supplemented by 3 privately owned stations broadcasting over multiple frequencies
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Wealth & Economy4 statsBest: #14
Environment7 statsBest: #15
Technology3 statsBest: #16
Health & Survival2 statsBest: #19
Demographics12 statsBest: #46
Elderly Population (%)
Dependency Ratio
Death Rate
Fertility Rate
Median Age
Birth Rate
Youth Population (%)
Population Density
Urban Population (%)
Land Area
Teen Birth Rate
Population
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #81
Coastline Length
1.1K km#81
Lowest Elevation
0 m#84
Highest Elevation
882 m#173
Land Border Length
0 km#185
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #95
Merchant Fleet Size
91#95
Airports
Energy1 statsBest: #173
Electric Generating Capacity
180.0K kW#173
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Faroe Islands
#16 in Internet Users (%)
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Top 10% globally
98%
Frequently Asked Questions about Faroe Islands
What is the population of Faroe Islands?
Faroe Islands has a population of 52.9K, ranking #206 globally by population.
What continent is Faroe Islands in?
Faroe Islands is located in Europe. It has an area of 1,393 km².
What is the life expectancy in Faroe Islands?
Life expectancy in Faroe Islands is 83.1 years, ranking #19 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Faroe Islands?
Faroe Islands's GDP per capita (PPP) is $81,908.78, ranking #14 globally.
What is Faroe Islands known for in global statistics?
Faroe Islands ranks particularly high in Internet Users (%) (#16), GDP Per Capita (PPP) (#14), CO2 Per Capita (#15).
How densely populated is Faroe Islands?
Faroe Islands has a population density of 39.7 people per km², ranking #162 globally.