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Greenland in Figures 2025, 22nd edition
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GREENLAND IN FIGURES
2025
Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland
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Greenland in Figures 2025 · 22nd edition · Editorial deadline: May 2025 · Number printed: 800
Published by Statistics Greenland · Telephone: +299 34 57 70 · stat@stat.gl · www.stat.gl
Edited by Naduk Kleemann, Statistics Greenland
Layout: iCICERO, Nuuk · Printed by JOHNSEN PRINT OG DIGITAL MEDIA
© Statistics Greenland 2025. Quotations from this leaflet are permitted if the source is acknowledged.
ISBN: 978-87-986787-9-3 ISSN: 1604-7397
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INDEX
4 The World’s Largest Island 20 Business
5 Population in Greenland 21 Business Structure
6 Population 22 Fishing
7 Deaths and Births 24 Hunting
8 Migration 25 Agriculture
9 Families 26 Tourism
10 Health 27 Transportation
12 Education 28 Income
13 Politics 29 Prices
14 Social Welfare 30 Foreign Trade
15 Crime 31 Public Finances
16 Climate 32 National Accounts
18 Culture 34 Key Figures
19 Labour Market
Symbols
- 0
. Category not valid
0 Less than 0.5 of the unit used
… Data not available
* Provisional or estimated figures
All economic figures are in Danish kroner (DKK)
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THE WORLD’S LARGEST ISLAND
Greenland is a mountainous country and the largest island of the tablished on June 21st 2009. Along with Denmark, Greenland was
world with a total area of 2.2 mio. km2. The country is geograph- an EU member from 1973 on. Following a referendum in 1982,
ically located on the North American continent. Greenland left the union in 1985.
81 per cent of Greenland is covered by ice, and the total pop- Most of the Greenlandic landscape is pristine tundra. All towns
ulation is just about 57,000. Comprised entirely of vast tundra, and settlements are located along the coast line. No roads exist
Greenland has the world´s lowest population density. Counting between towns, and travel is by sea or air only. Most of the pop-
the ice-free areas only, it is a mere 0.3 persons per square kilo- ulation lives on the southern west coast. This includes the capital
meter. Nuuk with almost 20,000 inhabitants.
In terms of geopolitics, however, it is a part of Europe and is a Greenland has its own national flag, and issues its own stamps,
self-governing region within the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1721, but does not have a national currency. Danish Kroner (DKK) is le-
Greenland became a Danish colony, in 1953 a Danish County, gal tender.
and in 1979, home rule was granted. Self-government was es-
Melody Adams - Visit Greenland
LARGEST DISTANCESE
North to south: 2,670 km
East to west: 1,050 km
Coastline: 44,087 km
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THE WORLD’S LARGEST NATIONAL PARK
The World´s largest National Park is located in North East
Greenland, with an area of 972,000 km². The only residents
Population in Greenland by january 1st, 2025
are the Sirius dog sled special force and weather stations staff.
KOMMUNE KUJALLEQ KOMMUNE QEQERTALIK
Narsaq 1,258 Aasiaat 2,992
Igaliku 32 Akunnaaq 55
Qassiarsuk 66 Kitsissuarsuit 50
Narsarsuaq 132 Qasigiannguit 961
Qaqortoq 3,069 Ikamiut 80
Saarloq 28 Qeqertarsuaq 799
Eqalugaarsuit 73 Kangerluk 7
Qassimiut 12 Kangaatsiaq 481
Nanortalik 1,084 Attu 184
Aappilattoq 86 Iginniarfik 61
Narsarmijit 59 Niaqornaarsuk 213
Tasiusaq 42 Ikerasaarsuk 86
Ammassivik 33
Alluitsup Paa 136 AVANNAATA KOMMUNIA National Park
Qaanaaq 599
KOMMUNEQARFIK SERMERSOOQ Savissivik 48
Nuuk 19,905 Siorapaluk 38
Qeqertarsuatsiaat 171 Qeqertat 23
Kapisillit 37 Upernavik 1,067
Paamiut 1,169 Upernavik Kujalleq 187
Arsuk 76 Kangersuatsiaq 118
Tasiilaq 1,758 Aappilattoq 149
Sermiligaaq 202 Tasiusaq 264
Isertoq 59 Nuussuaq 174
Kulusuk 206 Kullorsuaq 444
Tiilerilaaq 87 Naajaat 47
Kuummiit 234 Innaarsuit 148
Ittoqqortoormiit 325 Nutaarmiut 31
Ikerasaarsuk 3
QEQQATA KOMMUNIA Uummannaq 1,401
Sisimiut 5,485 Niaqornat 29
Itilleq 100 Qaarsut 172
Sarfannguit 91 Ikerasak 224
Kangerlussuaq 440 Saattut 231
Maniitsoq 2,519 Ukkusissat 151
Atammik 184 Ilulissat 5,087
Napasoq 65 Oqaatsut 42
Kangaamiut 295 Qeqertaq 97
Saqqaq 160
Ilimanaq 55
OUTSIDE TOWNS AND SETTLEMENTS
Stations 54 Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEESTD
Unknown 12
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CITIZENSHIP
As of January 1st 2025, 2,259
non-Danish citizens live in Greenland,
271 of which have citizenship in
another Nordic country. POPULATION
David Trood -Visit Greenland
Greenland’s population lives in towns and settlements on the Population born in Greenland, by type of residence
coast. Over 65 per cent live in the five largest towns – Nuuk, Si 1985 1995 2005 2015 2025
simiut, Ilulissat, Aasiaat and Qaqortoq. Most of the population is Born in Greenland
born in Greenland. Total 43,552 48,608 50,425 50,189 49,738
Capital city 7,261 9,574 11,244 13,453 15,722
After the 1960´s, the populations in the towns grew rapidly, as Main settlements 12,244 13,721 14,632 15,077 14,909
they absorbed the net population growth as well as the migra- Larger settlements 13,119 13,952 13,683 12,692 11,446
Settlements 6,103 6,358 6,607 4,607 3,949
tion from the settlements. This trend has been continuing for the
Smaller settlements 4,388 4,528 3,760 3,810 3,236
last 50 years.
Smallest settlements 425 435 443 511 452
Other localities 12 40 56 39 24
Greenland has a total populace overweight of men. This goes for
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEESTA
those born in Greenland, and especially for those born abroad,
for which 2/3 are men and 1/3 are women.
Population by gender and age group 2015
Men Woman 2025
Population by type of residence
95+
1985 1995 2005 2015 2025 90-94
Total population 85-89
Total 52,940 55,732 56,969 55,983 56,542 80-84
75-79
Capital city 10,559 12,723 14,501 16,992 19,903
70-74
Main settlements 14,475 15,401 16,127 16,325 16,633
65-69
Larger settlements 14,992 15,253 14,639 13,300 12,009 60-64
Settlements 7,179 6,998 6,954 4,818 4,156 55-59
Smaller settlements 4,709 4,644 4,022 3,885 3,312 50-54
45-49
Smallest settlements 546 461 478 533 463
40-44
Other localities 480 252 248 130 66
35-39
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEESTA 30-34
25-29
20-24
POPULATION FORECAST 15-19
Towards 2050, Greenland´s population will become older. Due to the 10-14
large 1960´s cohorts, and the subsequent drop in fertility, the elderly 5-9
0-4
part of the population will increase during the next 20 years. Total pop- 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000
ulace will expectedly drop below 50,000, if no changes in fertility, mor- Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEESTA
tality and migration take place.
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DEATHS AND BIRTHS
David Trood -Visit Greenland
Around 700 persons are born every year, and 500 die. Men and 1970´s, the fertility total has been constant, at around 2 births
women born in Greenland have a shorter life expectancy than the per woman.
average of the western world. This is primarily due to a high mor-
tality rate caused by accidents and suicide. First birth
In Greenland, women give birth to their first child 3-5 years earlier
Live Births and Deaths than in the other Nordic countries. The mean age for Greenlandic
1,250 primiparae is 25.0 years.
1,000
Total fertility for women in towns and settlements
Town Settlement
Live Births
750
2014
500
2016
Deaths
250 2018
2020
0
1984 1994 2004 2014 2024
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEEBBL0 and https://bank.stat.gl/BEEBBDM1 2022
2024
The fertility rate in settlements has always been higher than in 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
towns, where the national average up to 2020 was around two
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEEBBF
children per woman. This has changed in the past five years, and
the fertility rate has shown a declining trend. In 2024, the rate
was only 1.8 children per woman.
In 2023, Marco and Aputsiaq are the most popular names for boys.
In the start 1960´s, the general fertility was very high, causing Aviula and Ivaana are the most popular names for girls.
the Health Authority to launch campaigns for contraceptive pills
and intrauterine devices in 1965. Even today, pregnancies more
often result in legal abortions than in live births. Since the start
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David Trood -Visit Greenland
MIGRATION
Compared to the population size in Greenland, the internal mi- The majority of migrants are citizens of the Danish Kingdom, who
grations are significant, and have a big impact on the populace move from Denmark to Greenland or vice versa. Greenland´s con-
composition. An internal migration from outer districts to towns, stant need for summoned workforce requires the net emigration
primarily to Nuuk, has been going on for the last 50 years. of foreign nationals to be continuously countered by immigration.
Internal migration
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Same town 11,217 12,490 12,102 13,755 13,129 14,322 14,383 14,126 10,935 10,921 10,627
Same settlement 960 1,271 1,266 1,215 1,191 1,119 1,045 1,058 777 704 775
Between towns 4,153 4,428 4,371 4,553 4,440 4,695 4,926 5,133 4,651 4,444 4,038
Between settlements 288 302 406 346 418 345 397 318 300 293 252
From settlement to town 1,090 1,240 1,319 1,325 1,359 1,403 1,264 1,233 982 1,009 1,096
From town to settlement 950 999 1,047 1,070 1,079 1,201 1,138 1,098 956 844 904
Others 81 51 122 49 82 25 26 20 6 15 13
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEEBAF2B
Migration abroad
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Net immigration -236 -644 -639 -160 -709 -585 -306 -200 -41 -349 -485
Immigrations, total 2,482 2,404 2,536 2,491 2,191 2,148 2,451 2,316 1,911 2,040 1,988
Born in Greenland 922 892 915 1,061 871 1,055 1,108 1,081 790 686 732
Born outside Greenland 1,555 1,503 1,611 1,387 1,317 1,091 1,339 1,230 1,119 1,354 1,256
Emigrations, total 2,718 3,048 3,175 2,651 2,900 2,733 2,763 2,514 1,953 2,389 2,472
Born in Greenland 1,110 1,358 1,560 1,337 1,486 1,504 1,468 1,347 957 1,214 1,179
Born outside Greenland 1,587 1,682 1,604 1,270 1,414 1,225 1,285 1,164 993 1,169 1,289
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEEBBIU2
FOREIGN NATIONALS
Greenland´s international twist is growing, now representing 4.5
per cent of population total. The largest immigrant groups are
Philippines, Thai and Sri Lankans. In 2014, 15,521 Greenlandic
born lived in Denmark. In 2024, the number has risen to 17,287.
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In 2025, 20,755 persons live as singles,
FAMILIES which is 22 per cent more than
20 years ago.
Melody Adams - Visit Greenland
Number of families The Greenlandic family structure has been changing during the
22,000 last 50 years. Today, couples often live together without being
19,800 married. The relations between persons in a household define
17,600
family type. In brief, the family is defined as one or more persons
from the same household, who are kin or couples.
15,400
13,200
Families
11,000 In general, we define three family types; couples, singles and chil-
8,800 dren not living at home. The couple or single family type can have
6,600
children or youngsters living at home. A family consists of two
generations at max. For instance, three generations living at one
4,400
household would count as two or more families.
2,200
0
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025 HOUSEHOLDS
Single Married Couple living in consensual union
A household is defined as all persons living at the same address,
Cohabiting Child below 18 years not living with parents* regardless of how the persons are related. A household can con-
* Children below 18 and not living with parents include those living with other rela- sist of more than one family, while a family cannot be dispersed
tives, in foster care, in social institutions or dorms.
over more than one household.
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEEFAM2
Number of persons in households
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025
1 person 6,554 6,830 7,195 7,500 7,829 7,808 7,693 7,908 7,730 7,786 7,825
2 persons 5,026 5,155 5,281 5,316 5,438 5,536 5,561 5,559 5,674 5,691 5,630
3 persons 3,313 3,335 3,390 3,428 3,399 3,448 3,502 3,534 3,361 3,375 3,398
4 persons 2,741 2,694 2,629 2,716 2,709 2,640 2,608 2,536 2,678 2,692 2,598
5 persons 1,568 1,523 1,506 1,488 1,434 1,386 1,373 1,421 1,362 1,361 1,418
6 persons 828 802 713 690 686 628 654 574 619 596 587
7 persons 365 332 307 341 278 306 253 290 270 250 235
8 persons 145 146 136 127 113 111 119 126 141 130 108
9 persons 76 77 59 55 59 53 49 50 64 43 54
10 persons 35 39 23 17 20 22 22 17 26 34 32
11 persons 19 13 12 13 18 11 13 12 11 15 8
12+ 54 40 50 45 49 47 45 45 57 68 77
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/BEEHUS1
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HEALTH
Along with the societal development, the health conditions in hospital in Denmark. In case of serious emergency cases, patients
Greenland have also been changing. While there has been a posi- can also be transferred to a hospital in Iceland.
tive improvement in the physical health conditions, such as longer
life expectancy among the population, the development has al- In Greenland, men live to the age of 69.3 years on average, while
so led to an increase in cases of lifestyle-related diseases result- women live to the age of 73.9 years.
ing in death, including a high mortality rate from cancer. Of in-
fectious diseases, tuberculosis remains a common public health Causes of deaths
issue, alongside sexually transmitted diseases, while the suicide 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
rate has been higher than in the rest of the Nordic countries for Number of deaths
a long period of time. Total 441 454 470 461 512 527
Infectious diseases 10 10 16 20 17 21
Today, the Greenlandic healthcare system is divided into five re- Cancer 118 122 127 102 134 157
gions. There are regional hospitals in Nuuk, Qaqortoq, Sisimiut, Endocrine and metabolic 6 12 2 6 11 13
Heart diseases 49 58 65 57 67 60
Ilulissat, and Aasiaat. The hospital in Nuuk, Dronning Ingrids Hos-
Other circulatory system
pital, is also Greenland’s national hospital. In each region, there diseases
42 46 28 35 41 45
are health centers, health stations, and rural consultations with or Respiratory system 35 37 22 38 51 44
without tele medical equipment. As a basic principle, all health- Digestive system 15 19 13 20 24 23
care services are free for the resident population. Prescription Accidents 42 35 17 25 40 27
medicine and contraceptives are free of charge. Bigger towns Suicide 43 38 55 32 46 40
have public dental clinics, and dental treatment is free for resi- Homicide 7 9 1 3 4 1
dents. In case of illness, citizens are transported to the nearest Other 74 68 124 123 77 96
hospital for treatment. Patients in need of highly specialized treat- Source: https://bank.stat.gl/SUELDA1
ment are transferred to Dronning Ingrids Hospital in Nuuk or to a
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Bo Normander
- Visit Greenland
Since the beginning of the new century, the health promotion ef- est unit for social and health interventions is the department of
forts in Greenland have also been evolving, including with imple- prevention called PAARISA (“let’s take care of each other”), which
mentations of public health programs with national goals to pro- coordinates collaboration on health promotion across the public
mote physical and mental health among the population. The larg- authorities and different sectors in society.
Import and production of alcoholic beverages Import of tobacco
Litres of 100 pct. alcohol per person over 14 years Number of cigarettes per person over 14 years
16 3,500
Beer Regular cigarettes
14 3,000
12
2,500
10
2,000
8
1,500
6
1,000
4 Wine
2 500
Spirits Rolling tobacco
0 0
1984 1994 2004 2014 2024 1994 2004 2014 2024
Source: http:s//bank.stat.gl/ALEALK1 Source: https://bank.stat.gl/ALETOB2
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Aningaaq R. Carlsen
EDUCATION
- Visit Greenland
Ten years of primary and lower secondary education is mandatory
in Greenland. Children start primary school at the year they turn
six. Children from small settlements need to leave their home and
move to the nearest town in order to attend 8-10 grade. Danish
is taught as a second language from the first grade and English is Source: https://bank.stat.gl/UDEISCPROD
taught from the lowest grades. After finishing elementary school,
about half of the children do one year at a continuation school in Educational attainment
Greenland or Denmark. Only 1 in 8 pupils proceed directly to up- Though increasing, the education level in Greenland remains the
per secondary education. lowest in the Nordic Nations. Over half of the population of 25-
64 years old has no education above the lower-secondary level,
Many young people have to move to another town to pursue an compared to about ¼ in other Nordic countries.
upper secondary education. Four towns have high schools, and
most vocational educations are offered at ten main vocational Choice of education
colleges. The vocational educations alternate between theoretical Women attain an education above lower-secondary level more
classes and practical training in apprenticeships. often than men. 1 out of 10 men choose to start a higher educa-
tion, while the number for women is 1 out of 5. Women primarily
Greenlandic students starts in high school at age 17 in average, choose educations within welfare, business or higher education.
while the average age for students starting a vocational educa- Men primarily choose educations in engineering, construction,
tion is 30-34 years. and transport services.
Greenland´s University, Ilisimatusarfik, is located in the capital of Number of educations completed
Nuuk. It offers 12 bachelor programs and 4 master programs. Greenland Abroad
Short-cycle higher educations are also offered at some vocation- High school 2014 373 34
al schools. As only a few higher educations are offered in Green- 2019 283 31
land, around 30 per cent of the students study abroad, the ma- 2024 273 20
jority study in Denmark. Vocational education 2014 403 18
2019 378 21
Education is free, and students receive a monthly student grant. 2024 344 18
Higher education 2014 124 79
Apprentices usually receive salary from the apprenticeship. Stu-
2019 176 96
dents that need to move to another town for studies are entitled
2024 171 67
to a dormitory room.
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/UDEISC11D
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Filip Gielda - Visit Greenland
POLITICS
Naalakkersuisut (the Government) and Inatsisartut (Parliament As part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland has two seats
of Greenland) which consists of 31 members are both locat- in Folketinget, the Danish Parliament. These members are elect-
ed in the capital, Nuuk. The Head of Naalakkersuisut is termed ed in conjunction with the Danish parliamentary elections. From
“Naalakkersuisut Siulittaasuat”. The remaining members are time to time, referendums on political decisions are held. In 1979,
termed “Naalakkersuisut”. Greenland voted for home rule, and in 2008, it voted for self-rule.
In 1982, Greenland voted to leave the EU.
Elections for Inatsisartut are held at most every four years. A can-
didate can run for a party or as an independent. After each elec- Latest election to the Greenlandic Parliament, March 11th 2025
tion, the Inatsisartut appoints the Naalakkersuisut members and Elected
the Naalakkersuisut Siulittaasuat. Votes Per Cent Mandates women
Parties 28,620 100 31 14
Atassut 2,092 7.3 2 -
Greenland is divided into five municipalities: Kommune Kujalleq,
Demokraatit 8,563 29.9 10 5
Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, Qeqqata kommunia, Kommune
Inuit Ataqatigiit 6,119 21.4 7 5
Qeqertalik and Avannaata Kommunia. Elections for the municipal
Naleraq 7,009 24.5 8 3
boards are also held every four years.
Qulleq 305 1.1 - -
Siumut 4,210 14.7 4 1
Source: www.qinersineq.gl
Election to the municipal Councils, April 1st 2025
Greenland, Avannaata Kommune Qeqqata Kommuneqarfik Kommune
total Kommunia Qeqertalik Kommunia Sermersooq Kujalleq
Distribution of votes
Atassut 6.4 11.3 8.4 8.0 2.6 4.6
Demokraatit 25.0 25.7 26.4 21.1 21.0 38.9
Inuit Ataqatigiit 21.4 8.5 17.9 11.0 35.0 22.1
Naleraq 11.0 17.3 7.2 23.5 6.3 0.7
Qulleq 1.0 0.5 0.0 2.2 0.5 2.3
Siumut 33.6 36.2 39.1 33.2 31.7 29.7
Other 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.4 0.0
Source: www.qinersineq.gl
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Aningaaq R. Carlsen
SOCIAL WELFARE
4%
3%
- Visit Greenland
3% 17 %
For social welfare, Greenland follows the Nordic Model. If certain
requirements are met, citizens are entitled to income-replacing 38 %
benefits in case of unemployment, disease and maternity. Persons
35 %
with low or no income, who do not meet regularities, are entitled
to public benefits.
Low-income families also have the right to housing subsidies and
child benefits.
Social benefits, 2023
Residents with reduced work ability can apply for early retirement
Sickness and disability - 664 mio. DKK
pension, if younger than 67 years. If 67 years or older, residents Old age - 1,328 mio. DKK
are always entitled to age pension. In addition, early retirees and Family and children - 1,446 mio. DKK
senior residents may receive help and care in their home. If neces- Unemployment - 14 mio. DKK
sary, a nursing home place is offered. Housing - 104 mio. DKK
Social exclusion - 99 mio. DKK
Social protection etc. - 156 mio. DKK
Disabled residents are entitled to relief measures to compensate
for the disability. The measures are highly individual. They may Source: https://bank.stat.gl/OFEFUNK
include help in daily life from a support person, being accompa-
nied when travelling or full-time stay at a residential institution. Recipients of pensions
Disabled residents may also be offered a protected workshop job. 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Number of persons
Recipients of public and unemployment benefits Recipients of age pension 3,758 3,783 3,806 3,797 4,011
2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 Recipients of early retirement pen- 2,457 2,286 2,396 2,526 2,457
sion
Number of persons
Recipients of public benefits 7,111 5,787 4,733 3,749 3,022 Source: https://bank.stat.gl/SOEAPE1 and https://bank.stat.gl/SOEFPE1
Recipients of unemployment and 3,099 2,894 2,253 2,124 1,821
maternity benefits Recipients of housing subsidies and child benefits by time
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/SOE004 and https://bank.stat.gl/SOE006 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Number of persons
Recipients of housing subsidies 4,850 4,115 3,822 3,653 3,326
Recipients of child benefits 3,601 3,487 3,678 3,653 3,423
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/SOEBS01 and https://bank.stat.gl/SOEBT01
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CRIME
The Greenlandic court system is comprised of four District Courts Reported offenses, by type
and The Court of Greenland, together representing the first court Criminal law Traffic law Special laws
level. The High Court of Greenland represents the second court
level. As the Greenlandic court system is still a part of the Danish 2019
court system, the Supreme Court of Denmark is third court level
for Greenland. 2020
The justice system in Greenland emphasizes resocialization. Con-
2021
victs are generally allowed to maintain some degree of everyday
life during imprisonment. Five correctional facilities exist in Green-
land, distributed in towns of Ilulissat, Aasiaat, Nuuk, Qaqortoq 2022
and Tasiilaq. Mentally deviant offenders are sentenced to time in-
definite imprisonment in Nuuk.
2023
The crime statistics includes violations of the Greenlandic crimi- 0 1,250 2,500 3,750 5,000
nal law, plus a number of special laws including traffic law vio- Source: https://bank.stat.gl/KREAN1, https://bank.stat.gl/KREAN2,
lations. The crime statistics is divided into subjects, mirroring the https://bank.stat.gl/KREAN3
formal process in which a violation is handled, from initial report
to charge, trial and verdict. Number of charges and reported offences, by type
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
THE PROBATION SERVICE Number of reports
The Probation Service in Greenland oversees convicts who have Criminal law 2,925 3,596 4,222 3,920 3,610
been sentenced to probation terms, community service or legal Traffic law 748 948 1,101 878 767
psychiatric placement. The Probation Service also participates in Special laws 724 666 707 831 873
Number of charges
crime prevention, in cooperation with the police, schools and So-
Criminal law 1,902 2,475 2,792 2,526 2,019
cial Services.
Traffic law 684 844 1,020 758 653
Special laws 601 534 544 606 590
Rate of charges in per cent
Criminal law 65.0 68.8 66.1 64.4 55.9
Traffic law 91.4 89.0 92.6 86.3 85.1
Special laws 83.0 80.2 76.9 72.9 67.6
Source: Statistics Greenland
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CLIMATE
Average air temperatures in 2024, selected towns
Kanger Narsar
Ilulissat lussuaq Nuuk suaq Tasiilaq
(North) (West) (West) (South) (East)
Degrees in
Maximum temperatures
Celsius
January 7.5 7.9 9.5 11.7 5.2
February 5.7 6.0 7.6 9.2 3.4
March 9.5 8.5 7.5 9.4 5.9
April 12.4 15.1 6.4 14.0 6.8
Greenland is located in the Northern Polar region. The winters are May 8.0 13.0 5.6 14.4 7.4
cold and the summers mild with a local variation. June 18.2 20.9 16.8 20.7 11.4
July 16.4 20.7 17.1 22.2 17.2
In North Greenland, the climate is High Arctic. Here, the summers are August 17.4 19.3 17.2 17.9 15.6
cool with midnight sun, while the winters are harsh and the polar September 12.4 14.6 12.9 18.9 11.8
October 10.5 9.4 8.0 14.3 7.0
night lasts one to five months. Mid and South Greenland generally
November 0.9 3.2 2.8 8.6 5.8
has a Low Arctic climate. However, in the deep fiords of South Green-
December 1.2 4.7 5.1 6.7 2.6
land, the climate is Sub Arctic, allowing for a few trees to grow.
Minimum temperatures
January -25.8 -38.4 -19.3 -19.3 -15.9
The highest temperature measured in Greenland is 25.9 degrees Cel-
February -25.4 -35.4 -15.2 -20.3 -19.9
sius on the West Coast of the country in July 2013. The coldest tem- March -20.8 -27.5 -13.9 -11.7 -16.0
perature is measured on the Ice Cap, and is down on -69.6 degrees April -15.0 -15.0 -4.8 -4.5 -14.1
Celsius. May -9.9 -9.7 -6.2 -2.5 -5.4
June -2.1 -1.9 -0.8 1.3 -1.4
Due to the cold climate, Greenland has a large need for heating. Since July 2.2 2.4 0.8 4.7 -1.1
the 1990s, five hydropower plants have been built, supplying Nuuk, August -2.1 -0.5 -0.1 0.2 -0.6
Qaqortoq/Narsaq, Sisimiut, Ilulissat and Tasiilaq. Before hydropower September -2.6 -4.0 -0.1 -1.6 -2.1
plants were introduced, power was produced from fossil fuels only. October -15.5 -24.2 -6.4 -12.4 -9.3
Smaller towns, settlements and outer districts still rely entirely on fos- November -15.5 -29.4 -9.3 -14.9 -13.9
sil fuels. A small amount of heating is produced from incineration of December -22.8 -36.1 -15.1 -26.8 -19.1
waste in treatment plants. Source: https://bank.stat.gl/ENE1MID
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Emission of Greenhous Gases from consumption of fossil
fuels
Co2-equivalents in tonnes
Diesel oil Gasoline Petroleum Other fossil fuels
Actual energy consumption
1993 2003 2013 2023 1993
Tera Joule
Gas oil 6,402 7,316 5,374 6,581
Gasoline 345 510 543 839 2003
Kerosene / Jet Fuel 675 789 524 612
Diesel Fuel Arctic 0 193 176 169
LPG 12 6 3 3 2013
Aviation Gasoline 0 0 7 1
Emmett Sparling - Visit Greenland
Fueloil 0 0 490 0
Wasteoil 9 9 9 9 2023
Waste heat 98 79 117 76
Hydropower 0 572 1,278 1,684 0 120,000 240,000 360,000 480,000 600,000
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/ENE1ACT Source: https://bank.stat.gl/ENE2CO2e
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CULTURE Peter Lindstrom
- Visit Greenland
Greenland’s cultural identity is a mixture of globalism and tradi- Language
tion. Towns have a vibrant atmosphere with sports facilities and Greenland´s main language is Greenlandic, which belongs to
leisure activities, while life in rural areas remains more tradition- the Eskimo Aleut language family. There are a number of dia-
al. Most towns have their own museum, which tells the story of lects, but West Greenlandic is the official language in orthog-
their local history. Additionally, there are a few art museums and raphy.
cultural centers across the country that exhibit Greenlandic art One of the longest words in Greenlandic has 153 letters, and
and culture. goes:
Nuuk houses Greenland’s national theater, Nunatta Isiginnaartit- ”Nalunaarasuartaateeranngualioqatigiiffissualioriataallaqqis-
sisarfia, and the cultural center, Katuaq Kulturip Illorsua. Nunat- supilorujussuanngortartuinnakasinngortinniamisaalinnguatsi-
ta Isiginnaartitsisarfia produces stage art based on Greenlandic araluallaqqooqigaminngamiaasiinngooq”.
culture and tradition while also serving as the country’s acting
school. Katuaq Kulturip Illorsua hosts cultural events in collabora- This means:
tion with artists, organizations, and companies from Greenland, ”There were reports that they apparently – God knows for
Canada, Alaska, and the Nordic countries. The center has facili- how many times – once again had considered whatever I, my
ties for film screenings, concerts, theater performances, art exhi- poor condition despite, still could be considered to be quite
bitions, and conferences. adept and resourceful as initiator to put a consortium togeth-
er for the establishment of a range of small radio stations”.
Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR) is Greenland’s national public ser-
vice TV and radio station, offering a range of news, sports, and Visits to National Museum of Greenland
entertainment programs. In addition, there are several local TV 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Number of visits
and radio stations, as well as two national newspapers, Atuagag-
Total* 19,391 9,274 11,108 11,885 11,244 19,391
dliutit (AG) and Sermitsiaq, which are published weekly. Some
Children 4,311 2,974 2,891 3,125 3,165 2,933
towns have local newspapers, and there are also a handful of
Adults 15,080 6,300 8,217 8,760 8,079 7,878
smaller publishing companies.
* Numbers do not include visits in entrance
Source: Greenland National Museum
Most towns have their own choir, and folk dancing is popular. The
traditional dances are of European origin, introduced by whalers Broadcasts by KNR (Greenlandic Radio/TV)
in the 17th century and early colonists in the 18th century, while 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
drum dancing and singing represent the original Inuit musical tra- Hours per year
dition. Greenland has a relatively large number of musicians, pri- Radio, total 3,496 3,199 3,013 3,063 2,976 2,857
marily in the rock and pop genres. TV, total 832 797 634 846 824 852
Source: KNR
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CHOICE OF
PROFESSION
LABOUR MARKET Over 40 per cent of all jobs are Peter Lindstrom
found in the public sector. More than
60 per cent of employed women are - Visit Greenland
working in the public sector. For men,
fisheries and fisheries-related industry
and trade and public administration
A large proportion of the Greenlandic labour market is public jobs The distinct feature in the and service are the most
in municipalities or the Government of Greenland. In towns, most Greenlandic labour market is popular choices.
people work as employees. In settlements, a large proportion are a large seasonal variation in em-
mainly huntsmen and fishermen. In general, the Greenlandic la- ployment, due to the climate and the
bour market follow the Scandinavian model having employee- geographic dispersion, which limits mobility.
and employer organizations, wage agreements and an extensive
legislation for worker protection, arbitration, vacation and work- Main employment by industry and nationality, 2023
ers compensation. Persons without Danish or Nordic citizenship Green Outside
can achive a residence and work permit. Total land Denmark Europe Europe
Number of employed persons in average per month
Total 29,339 25,529 2,670 194 947
The unemployed part of the work force has a high proportion of
Fishing, hunting &
unskilled workers. Around 83 per cent have no education, apart 4,600 4,199 167 11 224
agriculture
from primary school. For the highly educated, the unemployment
Mining and
rate is very low. 85 57 24 4 0
quarrying
Manufacturing 231 206 22 1 2
Unemployment rate (pct.) in average per month, 2023 Electricity and water
424 362 58 2 2
supply
4.0
Construction 2,239 1,724 339 54 121
3.5 Wholesale 3,055 2,640 221 6 187
Hotels and
3.0 903 555 103 6 239
restaurants
Transportation 2,087 1,853 200 17 17
2.5
Business activities 1,835 1,380 345 19 91
2.0 Public administra-
12,730 11,633 1,006 59 32
tion and service
1.5 Other industries 330 273 38 2 18
Activity not stated 822 646 148 14 14
1.0
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/AREBFB07
0.5
0.0
jan. feb. mar. apr. may jun. jul. aug. sep. oct. nov. dec.
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/ARELED48
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Maja Trolle - Visit Greenland
BUSINESS
Greenland’s business sector is dominated by large publicly owned comes from fishing and the related industry and trade. The other
companies. The largest companies with 100 per cent ownership major industry is wholesale and retail trade, which also accounts
by the Self-government are Royal Greenland A/S (fishing indus- for nearly a 1/3 of the total turnover in companies.
try), KNI A/S (retail and oil sales), Royal Arctic Line A/S (shipping),
Air Greenland (air traffic), and Tusass (telecommunications). The value added created in the companies is greatest within the
fishing industry, where it represents more than 1/3 of the total
In Greenland, the economic activity is dominated by a few ma- value added.
jor industries. About 1/3 of the turnover created by companies
Value added Turnover
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
DKK million DKK million
Fishing and other related industries 2,695 2,796 1,917 2,582 3,118 6,495 6,782 5,928 6,331 7,756
Mining -55 -85 -27 -426 -293 99 92 142 169 86
Manufacturing 172 164 167 165 157 417 430 433 479 484
Construction 1,020 1,111 1,246 1,448 1,369 2,426 2,747 3,558 4,169 4,092
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of
1,236 1,231 1,251 1,326 1,543 6,476 6,466 6,566 6,525 7,641
motor vehicles
Transportation and storage 1,333 1,363 1,333 1,455 1,390 2,673 2,618 2,521 2,781 3,227
Accommodation and food service
198 209 148 202 271 431 422 328 433 545
activities
Information and communication 615 573 623 595 624 1,100 1,094 1,083 1,112 1,130
Financial and insurance activities 310 349 302 358 329 489 507 521 456 561
Real estate activities 340 363 468 528 457 449 477 537 607 1,016
Professional, scientific and technical
187 205 206 185 243 292 329 347 410 428
activities
Administrative and support service
180 171 169 131 202 475 311 288 486 934
activities
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/ESERESBAL, https://bank.stat.gl/ESENGL
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BUSINESS STRUCTURE Reinhard Pantke
- Visit Greenland
The dominant form of business in Greenland is the mode of oper- Business statistics
ation proprietorship. Under this mode of operation are registered Business statistics is the basis for analysis of the business struc-
fishermen fishing in the coastal sea. The second most common ture in Greenland. The focus is on Greenlandic companies outside
mode of operation is other types of companies (especially known public administration, defense and social insurance. This means
as the limited companies). that the company’s share of companies and government-con-
trolled companies are included in the survey, but that large parts
About half of the total salary is paid by limited companies. of the public sector are generally not included.
Number of enterprices The main sources of business statistics are Statistics Greenland’s
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 employment and income registers, both derived from Tax Agen-
Proprietorship 2,886 2,974 3,006 2,760 3,016 cy data.
Limited companies 134 136 137 135 132
Other types of
companies
567 503 521 503 573 Percentages of salaries
Funds etc. 172 163 178 166 165 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Foreign branches 83 57 53 61 64
12.7 0.5
50.7 22.5 9.5
No information 4.0
152 129 92 79 113 0.6
given
13.9 52.0 20.8 9.7
Total 3,994 3,962 3,987 3,704 4,063 0.6
3.0
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/ESE2A 14.8 52.3 20.5 10.0
0.7
1.8
14.2 53.2 19.8 9.8
2.3
1.5
13.6 49.6 23.0 9.9 2.4
Proprietorship Limited Other types of Funds etc. Foreign No information
companies companies branches given
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/ESE2A
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Mads Phil - Visit Greenland
FISHING
Fishing is Greenland’s single most important trade. Fishing for The land based fishing industry is dominated by two companies;
prawns and Greenlandic halibut and some other species is reg- the government-owned Royal Greenland, and the private owned
ulated by quota and license regulations decided by the govern- Polar Seafood. Royal Greenland is Greenland’s largest company.
ment. Fishing comes in two breeds; coastal - and offshore fishing. In recent years, a number of private seafood enterprises have ap-
Coastal fishing supplies land-based factories, while the offshore peared on the scene.
fishing fleet primarily consists of factory vessels with on-board
production. Greenland has bilateral or trilateral fisheries agreements with the
Faroe Islands, Norway and Iceland, and has a general fisheries
agreement with the EU. Greenland has the legal authority regard-
ing the fisheries sector, and Greenland’s Fishery Control authority
Sled dogs (GFJK) often deploys observers on Greenlandic and international
Greenlandic dogs from the North- and East Greenlandic sled vessels, primarily on shrimp trawlers.
areas, in which the dogs are primarily used for fishing, hunt-
ing and tourism, require a special permit to be moved to West-
and South Greenland. Likewise, it takes a special permit to
move dogs from West- and South Greenland to North- and
East Greenland. This is enforced to prevent mix-breeding of the
Greenlandic sled dog.
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Aningaaq R. Carlsen
- Visit Greenland
Total landing of fish and shellfish in coastal and offshore Total catch of fish and shellfish by offshore fishing, Green
fishing, selected species landic vessels
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
1,000 tonnes 1,000 tonnes
Shellfish, total 54.1 57.0 58.4 57.1 57.2 49.3 Greenland halibut 10.2 11.9 12.4 11.9 12.5 15.4
Snow crab 2.8 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.2 Atlantic cod 18.2 17.4 22.7 29.4 29.2 29.4
Northern prawn 51.3 54.5 55.6 54.4 54.5 47.1 Capelin 0 0 13.9 43.8 46.4 0
Fish, total 68.7 60.7 58.9 56.8 65.5 63.9 Atlantic halibut 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chars 0 0 0 0 0 0 Haddock 1.0 0.9 1.1 0.8 0.7 0.5
Greenland cod 0 0 0 0 0 0 Herring 3.2 3.2 2.9 6.2 7.3 5.6
Wolffish 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 Icelandic scallop 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.8
Greenland halibut 35.6 30.6 33.8 34.3 34.5 26.9 Mixed fish 1.2 0.9 0.5 2.1 0.9 0.9
Other species 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 Saithe 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.6
Capelin 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.6 Deep sea prawn 51.1 62.4 60.5 56.8 55.8 53.2
Redfish 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 Redfish 2.7 2.4 1.8 1.0 2.6 2.2
R. grenadier 0 0 0 0 0 0 Catfishes 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lumpfish 7.6 9.0 4.5 4.9 5.6 6.1 Blue whiting 19.8 19.6 19.3 18.8 26.0 15.9
Atlantic cod 24.2 20.1 19.7 17.1 24.9 30.1 Mackerel 30.2 25.6 33.4 17.6 29.1 15.2
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/FIE012 Other species 0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/FIE008
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Aningaaq R. Carlsen
HUNTING
- Visit Greenland
Huntsmanship has been a way of life in Greenland for gener- Hunting licenses
ations. Even today, hunting provides an important supplement Professional hunters Sports hunters
to the economy of the families. Hunting is regulated by means
of seasons and permissions. A hunting license is mandatory for 6,000
anyone, who wants to hunt. The general license comes in two
breeds; professional and recreational. In addition, a specific li-
cense is needed when hunting species limited by quota. The quo- 4,500
ta system regulates the number of animals available for hunting.
Professional hunting license holders usually do not make a full liv- 3,000
ing from hunting. In addition, they will often do dinghy fishing in
summer and ice fishing in winter.
1,500
Seal still plays an important role. The sealskin is usually traded,
while the meat is consumed or used for dog fodder in sled dog
0
districts. About 50 per cent of traded sealskin is tanned by Great 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Greenland, the country´s only tannery.
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/FIEBEVIS
A number of whale species have hunting quota. The meat and
Catches of mammals and birds
the skin are consumed in Greenland only. Reindeer and musk ox
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 *2022
are the most important land species. Primarily sheep and lamb are
Numbers of catch
butchered at Neqi A/S. Skin of land mammals are traded as well.
Seals' 98,780 100,012 92,690 93,815 86,305 57,454
Bird hunting is regulated by means of quota. A number of species
Whales' 4,302 4,332 5,301 5,862 5,572 5,079
are not quota-regulated. In general, the police enforce the hunt- Landmam-
15,587 17,963 16,028 15,448 16,787 12,475
ing regulations. mals'''
Birds'''' 80,402 78,176 89,581 97,166 84,334 21,111
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE *Preliminary figures
’ Ringed seal, harp seal, hooded seal, bearded seal, harbour seal and walrus
Aasivissuit – Nipisat at Kangerlussuaq is a unique cultural land- ’’ Beluga whale, narwhale, killer whale, harbour porpoise, pilot whale, atlantic whi-
scape, stretching from the Ice Cape, by the vast reindeer hunt- te-sided dolphin, minke whale, bowhead whale, humpback whale and fin whale
’’’ Polar hare, reindeer, musk ox, arctic fox and polar bear
ing grounds, to the fiords and islands of the coast. The area ’’’’ Guillemot, eider, king eider, squaw, mallard, fulmar, theist, little auk, black-leg-
holds a plethora of prehistoric remains, which testify to 4,500 ged kitti, canada goose, barnacle goose, short nest goose and ptarmigan
years of human history. Source: https://bank.stat.gl/FIEFANGST
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AGRICULTURE Peter Lindstrom
- Visit Greenland
Agriculture in Greenland is mainly based on sheep farming with Upernaviarsuk is South Greenland´s experimental farm. Here, an
summer grazing of sheep and lamb. A modest number of poultry, arctic climate test program is carried out for the most common
bees, horses, cattle and domesticated reindeer are held. Winter crops and winter feeds. Upernaviarsuk also runs an agricultural
feed for animals is grown, along with potatoes and vegetables for school, offering educations in sheep farming, production garden-
the home market. Agriculture exists almost only in the deep fiords ing and greenhouse gardening.
of South Greenland, due to the sub-arctic climate of this region.
Farms by location
In a historical context, Greenlandic agriculture dates back to
Narsaq Qaqortoq Nanortalik Paamiut Nuuk
the Late Viking Age, where Norse settlers colonized Southwest
Greenland in 982 and lived there up til mid-15th century. In 1782, 30
today’s sheep farming tradition was founded in Igaliku, literally
on the ancient Norse fields as a hobby business. In 1924, the first 25
full-scale farm was established at Erik the Red’s old settlement in
Qassiarsuk. 20
Over the last decades, sheep farms have become fewer and big- 15
ger, often two or three generations join forces on running a farm.
10
Livestock
2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 5
Number of animals
Sheep 18,738 18,190 18,212 18,105 17,685 15,750 0
2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Tame
3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 1,190
reindeer
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/FIEHEKBEDD
Cows 143 155 254 327 375 90
Horses 123 137 158 139 138 115
Fowls 174 211 131 234 214 215
Beehives 4 6 6 - - - UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/FIEHDYR 350 sq. km2 cultural and agricultural Kujataa landscape in South
Greenland was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2017.
Kujataa consists of five areas around the Tunulliarfik and Igali-
ku Fiords.
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Stine Selmer Andersen
UNESCO
TOURISM WORLD HERITAGE
- Visit Greenland
The Ilulissat Icefiord (Sermeq
Kujalleq) has been UNESCO World
Heritage since 2004. It is the size of
66,000 soccer fields. Every day it
Tourists enter Greenland via international flights to Ilulissat, Ka elers cross Greenland’s Ice produces an amount of ice equal
ngerlussuaq, Nuuk, Narsarsuaq, Kulusuk, and Nerlerit Inaat in It- Sheet, typically between to New York´s yearly water
toqqortoormiit, or by cruise ships, primarily from the USA, Can- Kangerlussuaq and Tasiilaq, consumption.
ada, and Europe. Today, the airport in Nuuk has become a cen- which, however, requires spe-
tral international gateway to Greenland. In addition, there are re- cial permission from the Self-Gov-
gional airports, heliports, ports, and harbor facilities that connect ernment.
towns and settlements for domestic travelers. Accommodation
standards vary—from hotels and bed & breakfasts to private lodg- Number of international passengers by airport
ings. Camping is an option but requires thorough preparation. 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Total 80,806 85,306 30,785 85,484 96,817
Due to the climate and its location within the Arctic Circle, tour- Kangerlussuaq 61,762 66,820 28,815 69,036 69,447
ism in Greenland is primarily centered around nature experienc- Narsarsuaq 5,111 4,696 45 4,374 5,997
es and outdoor activities. Travelers often seek unique experiences Kulusuk 5,764 5,114 278 4,256 5,359
such as dog sledding, the northern lights, whale safari, and hiking Nerlerit inaat 357 869 261 807 892
Nuuk 4,720 4,700 1,296 5,263 11,306
in the Arctic wilderness.
Ilulissat 3,092 3,107 90 1,748 3,816
North Greenland, particularly the area around Disko Bay, has a Source: https://bank.stat.gl/TUEUPAX
high Arctic climate, making it one of the country’s primary tourist
destinations. The tourism industry is well-developed in this area, Hotel guests by nationality
with the highest number of tourism operators. West Greenland 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
is home to the capital region and has the most developed infra- Number of guests
Greenland 57,501 57,163 43,767 68,076 68,544
structure in the country. Here, tourism offers a combination of
Nordic countries 23,918 23,037 10,441 44,619 44,438
modern city life, culture, and nature. South Greenland stands out
Germany 2,440 2,945 413 3,676 3,342
from the rest of the country due to its subarctic location, offering
France 748 1,672 110 1,211 1,282
historical experiences in nature in a milder climate than the rest
Italy 365 528 51 607 712
of Greenland. This region is also home to the country’s largest ag-
The Netherlands 253 324 41 469 615
ricultural operations. East Greenland is the most isolated region Great Britain 1,595 1,320 312 2,245 1,861
of the country and, like the northern region, has a high Arctic cli- Rest of Europa 2,035 4,188 320 2,691 5,099
mate. A large part of the region is an untouched wilderness and USA 2,767 2,677 287 2,953 3,666
is known for its well-preserved Inuit culture, which remains in a Japan 583 307 16 165 201
more traditional form than in other parts of the country. Canada 716 906 201 824 1,068
Other countries 3,301 2,820 283 2,374 6,059
Outdoor tourism primarily takes place during the summer season, Unknown 0 3,413 3,288 7,418 16,987
though there is also some activity in winter. The cruise season Source: https://bank.stat.gl/TUEHOT
generally extends from spring to autumn. A small number of trav-
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Mads Phil - Visit Greenland
NORTH- AND EAST GREENLAND
In the outer districts of North and East Greenland, snowmobiles and dog
TRANSPORTATION sleds are used for local transportation when the sea is covered by ice in win-
ter. In summer, dinghy boats and similar vessels are used for travel by sea.
Transportation in Greenland differs significantly from the rest of Greenland’s airline company, Air Greenland, operates internation-
the Nordic countries. Due to the climate and geography, there are al routes to Denmark, Iceland, and Canada, as well as all domestic
no railways or roads between towns and settlements. All passen- flight and helicopter routes. Greenland’s shipping company, Royal
ger and freight transport takes place by ship, plane, or helicopter. Arctic Line, has a monopoly on freight routes to towns and settle-
Most towns have paved roads and cars, while smaller towns and ments. Arctic Umiaq Line’s passenger ship, Sarfaq Ittuk, maintains
settlements typically have gravel or dirt roads. Busses operate in passenger routes on the West Coast most of the year. Several mi-
larger towns, and taxies are available in most towns. nor passenger routes also exist.
Number of registered motor vehicles in 2024 In addition to the existing international flight connections to
Buses Taxis Cars and Snow Other motor Greenland, the opening of Nuuk’s international airport in 2024
vans mobiles vehicles* has created new opportunities for foreign airlines to establish
North Greenland
routes to the country for some part of the year, thereby strength-
Qaanaaq - 1 22 28 77
ening Greenland’s connections to the outside world. However,
Upernavik 1 1 78 289 110
the maritime conditions are different. Beside Greenland has no
Uummannaq 1 5 140 471 139
international routes for passenger ships, transportation to the
Ilulissat 27 18 743 382 269
northernmost regions of North Greenland and East Greenland is
Qasigiannguit 1 1 86 100 86
Aasiaat - 8 274 185 115
impossible in winter due to sea ice.
Kangaatsiaq - - 3 19 10
Qeqertarsuaq 1 - 57 205 59 TRANSPORT BY AIR GREENLAND
West Greenland Air Greenland’s fleet consists of various types of aircraft. The com-
Sisimiut 22 12 956 828 631 pany’s largest aircraft, the Atlantic aircraft Tuukkaq, flies to and
Maniitsoq 1 12 245 94 114 from Greenland. Fixed-wing planes are used for domestic flights
Nuuk 39 62 4,760 360 1,097 and helicopters for transportation between towns and settle-
Paamiut 2 - 95 31 74 ments. In addition, the company has aircraft for emergency re-
South Greenland sponse and SAR operations.
Narsaq 1 5 118 43 128
Qaqortoq 5 20 327 29 156 TRANSPORT BY ROYAL ARCTIC LINE
Nanortalik 1 3 63 14 60 The fleet of Royal Arctic Line consists of ships tailored for the
East Greenland
Arctic waters. In addition to the passenger ship Sarfaq Ittuk, the
Tasiilaq 4 1 96 197 140
company has four larger Atlantic vessels as well as six smaller ves-
Ittoqqortoormiit - - 9 114 84
sels for transportation to the settlements, built to operate in all
*ATV and 4-wheelers, construction machineries, trucks, motorcycles, emergency ve-
hicles and other unspecified vehicles. kind of ports.
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/ENEMO2DI
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Melody Joy - Visit Greenland
INCOME
INCOME AND TAX
In Greenland, residents pay
42-44 per cent tax from per-
sonal income, depending on the
municipality. Base tax credit is
5,833 DKK monthly.
In settlements, income level is considerably lower than in towns. Average gross income by
However, the size of this difference depends on the municipality. educational background
1,200,000
The difference in average gross income between settlements and and age, 2023
towns is most significant in Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq. Here,
1,000,000
the average income of a Nuuk resident is more than twice the av-
erage income of a settlement resident.
800,000
In 2023, women had an average gross income of 258,000 DKK,
600,000
while men held an average gross income of 321,000 DKK. Hence,
on a national level the average man had an income 24 per cent
400,000
higher than the average woman. However, men are overrepre-
sented in the typical economically active groups, and women are
200,000
overrepresented in the oldest age groups. This may in part cause
the difference in income.
0
-1 9 -2 4 -2 9 -3 4 -3 9 -4 4 -4 9 -5 4 -5 9 -6 4 -6 9 -7 4 74
In Greenland, income correlates with education level. When the 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
level of education increases, the level of income increases as well. Primary school Upper secondary education
The income inequality in Greenland is higher than the Nordic av- Vocational education Short-cycle higher education
Medium-cycle higher education Higher education
erage.
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/INEPI104
Average gross income by municipality and place of residence, 2023
Greenland Kommune Kommuneqarfik Qeqqata Kommune Avannaata
total Kujalleq Sermersooq Kommunia Qeqertalik Kommunia
Town 301,944 247,236 346,063 288,087 236,199 270,877
Settlement 210,781 207,139 183,527 278,357 184,094 199,999
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/INEPI101
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Norris Niman - Visit Greenland
PRICES
Price is a measure for living costs, and the indexes are primarily The population´s actual spending power is called purchasing
used to track the inflation. The consumer price index is a meas- power or real income. Spending power is closely related to the
ure for actual prices paid by consumers for goods and services. It balance between income level and price level. Real income in-
mirrors the sum of changes in consumer prices, including those creases if income growth is higher than price growth.
caused by changes in taxes, duties and subsidies. Hence, it is a
compound expression of pure market changes and legislative Real income trends 2010=100
price changes. Gross income Real income
Consumer price index (Jan. 2008=100) 300,000
Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 250,000
Consumer price index,
123.0 123.3 123.6 127.0 129.8 134.4
total
200,000
Food and beverages 139.4 139.3 142.0 147.5 151.1 156.5
Alcohol and tobacco 128.3 128.0 129.4 133.0 135.5 141.0
150,000
Clothing and footwear 94.2 90.4 89.6 90.6 92.2 98.8
Gross rent (dwelling) 127.3 129.1 125.5 127.7 130.1 138.2
100,000
Furniture, household,
120.9 117.4 114.4 122.7 117.8 114.2
equipment etc.
Medical care and health 50,000
127.8 127.8 128.3 131.5 132.5 132.3
expenses
Transportation 123.6 127.2 125.8 128.5 132.6 133.4
0
Communication 87.9 83.7 85.3 85.5 85.6 85.6 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Recreation and entertain-
104.8 103.9 108.6 114.2 119.6 122.6
ment etc. Source: Statistics Greenland
Restaurants and hotels 131.2 134.0 134.5 137.9 142.4 145.1
Miscellaneous goods and
113.8 115.6 117.6 119.5 123.3 126.9
services
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/PREPRISV
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Trade balance DKK Million
FOREIGN TRADE 3,500
3,000
2,500
Greenland has a one-sided production and demands a wide 2,000
range of goods, which necessitates extensive foreign trading.
1,500
Apart from fishing and hunting, Greenland has a very limited do-
mestic production of commodities. This causes import to include 1,000
more or less all goods necessary in households, businesses and
institutions. 500
0
As the majority of Greenland´s exports consist of fish and shell-
fish, Greenland is very dependent on the fishing sector and the -500
international buyer prices. The fishing industry provides over 90
per cent of Greenland´s export. The most important species are -1,000
Codfish, Greenland halibut, mackerel, crab and prawn.
-1,500
Trade balance is a measure of export value minus import value
-2,000
of goods. q1 q2 q3 q4 q1 q2 q3 q4 q1 q2 q3 q4
2022 2023 2024
Trade balance Export Import
Values of import and export by SITC
2022 2023* 2024*
Import Export Import Export Import Export
DKK million
Total 7,921 5,884 7,335 6,208 6,792 5,212
Provisions and livestock 1,083 5,648 1,154 5,865 1,110 5,079
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco 209 0 216 0 333 0
Raw materials, inedible 57 12 53 11 48 13
Mineral fuels and lubricants etc. 1,708 0 1,453 0 1,456 0
Animal or vegetable fats and oils 8 2 8 4 6 0
Chemicals and chemical products 452 1 445 1 411 3
Manufactured products mainly semi-manufac-
1,093 16 1,136 21 1,133 11
tured products
Machinery and transport equipment 2,577 179 2,057 261 1,597 76
Manufactured products 651 16 708 27 654 25
Miscellaneous articles and transactions 82 10 104 19 44 5
* Preliminary figures
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/IEESITC
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DENMARK’S BLOCK GRANTS TO GREENLAND
As part of the Realm Community with Denmark and the Faroe Islands,
Greenland receives an annual block grant from the State of Denmark.
PUBLIC FINANCES The grant is intended to cover expenses related to the areas of respon-
sibility Greenland has taken over from Denmark. In 2023 the grant was
*4,141.5m DKK. *Preliminary figures
Public finances consist of activities in the general government
related to administration and services. The general government The general government of administration and services includes
consists of three sectors: the municipal sector, the self-govern- authorities and institutions that predominantly provide non-mar-
ment sector, and the State of Denmark. The general government ket services and redistribute income and wealth.
finances are allocated annually through the appropriation law.
Most public services are available free of charge for citizens and
The central government sector includes activities that continue enterprises. Public expenditures are mainly financed through tax-
to be managed and financed directly by the State of Denmark. In es and block grants from Denmark, while a smaller portion is cov-
compliance with international guidelines, only expenses incurred ered by duties or user fees.
in Greenland are accounted for.
Expenditures in municipalities, 2023 Expenditures in Self-government, 2023
16.4 %
General public services 12.6 % General public services
Public order and safety 28.8 % Economic affairs
1.2 %
4.6 % Economic affairs Environmental protection
14.9 %
48.5 % 2.7 % Environmental protection Housing and community amenities
1.1 %
2.8 % Housing and community amenities Health
3.7 %
Recreation, culture and religion Recreation, culture and religion
10.7 %
Education Education
1.0 %
22.6 % Social protection 24.9 % Social protection
3.5 %
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/OFEFUNK Source: https://bank.stat.gl/OFEFUNK
Expenditures in Central government, 2023 Revenue of general government, 2023
4.2 %
% 4.9 % 5.2 % 3.5 %
5.3 %
21.4 % General public services 10.3 % Gross operating surplus
Defence Surplus and interest etc.
42.5 %
Public order and safety Produktions- og importskatter
Economic affairs Taxes on production and imports
Environmental protection Transfers, total
38.3 %
64.3 %
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/OFEFUNK Source: https://bank.stat.gl/OFEREAI
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NATIONAL ACCOUNTS
National accounts provide an overall picture of Greenland’s econ- Trends in GDP
omy. The National Accounts system is a set of definitions and clas- 2018 2019 2020 2021* 2022* 2023*
sifications, without which it would not be possible to obtain an Current prices
overview of the immense number of financial transactions, which GDP, million DKK 19,296 19,990 20,213 20,707 22,306 22,919
take place in Greenland’s economy. Per capita, 1,000
346 358 361 367 395 405
DKK
Annual growth in
The key figures for the annual national accounts show the main percent
2.5 3.6 1.1 2.4 7.7 2.7
results for Greenland´s economy. The balance of demand and 2010-prices, chained values
supply shows the supply in the form of Greenlandic production GDP, million DKK 15,084 15,511 15,550 15,804 16,121 16,260
(GDP), imports and demand in the form of household consump- Per capita, 1,000
270 277 278 280 285 288
tion, government consumption, gross investments and exports. DKK
Annual real growth
0.6 2.8 0.3 1.6 2.0 0.9
in percent
National accounts are compiled according to international guide-
* Preliminary figures
lines, which make them comparable between countries. Source: https://bank.stat.gl/NRE10
GDP
The National Accounts are calculated from constant prices
(chained values) and from current prices. National accounts in
constant prices (chained values) have been adjusted for price de-
velopments. Accordingly, the development in real GDP (chained
values) expresses the real economic growth.
DKK
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Mads Phil - Visit Greenland
Supply and demand Real growth in GDP in Greenland, Nordic countries and
2018 2019 2020 2021* 2022* 2023* OECD-countries
Current prices, mio.DKK 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Gross Domestic
19,296 19,990 20,213 20,707 22,306 22,919
product 9
Imports of goods 8
8,745 10,225 9,438 10,277 11,728 11,710
and services 7
Supply 28,042 30,215 29,651 30,984 34,034 34,629 6
5
Household con-
6,944 7,005 6,892 7,083 7,286 7,469 4
sumption
3
Government con-
8,325 8,755 8,816 9,165 9,209 9,560 2
sumption
1
Gross investment 4,195 6,251 6,673 7,684 8,441 8,250
0
Exports of goods -1
8,578 8,205 7,270 7,052 9,099 9,351
and services -2
Final demand 28,042 30,215 29,651 30,984 34,034 34,629 -3
Period to period real growth in per cent -4
Gross Domestic -5
0.6 2.8 0.3 1.6 2.0 0.9 -6
product
Imports of goods -7
2.4 15.1 -2.1 6.0 5.7 -0.1 d ar d d ay en s
and services la n m
k Finl la n or ed ntrie
en D an Ic w Sw ou
en e
Supply 1.2 6.7 -0.5 3.0 3.2 0.5 re N
G -c
D
Household con- EC
1.5 0.5 -0.3 3.2 0.6 0.1 O
sumption
Source: https://stats.oecd.org
Government con-
3.0 4.0 -2.9 2.3 -1.7 2.2
sumption
Gross investment -6.9 46.9 7.0 13.7 1.8 -3.6
Exports of goods
3.6 -5.4 -4.0 -6.0 13.9 3.0
and services
Final demand 1.2 6.7 -0.5 3.0 3.2 0.5
* Preliminary figures.
Source: https://bank.stat.gl/NRE11
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KEY FIGURES
Geography Animal life Fish, seals, walruses, whales, polar bears, arctic fox-
Location The world’s largest non-continental island, locat- es, arctic wolves, reindeer, musk oxen, Greenland
ed on the North American continent between the collared lemmings, snow hares, and a rich bird life
Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, north which comprises some 50 breeding species. Live-
east of Canada. The northernmost point of Green- stock in South Greenland are following, sheep,
land, Oodaap Qeqertaa, is only 706 km from the tame reindeer, cows, horses, dogs and fowls. In
North Pole. The southernmost point is Cape Fare- North Greenland and East Greenland dogsleds are
well which is at about the same latitude as Oslo used for hunting and fishing purposes
in Norway National parks The national park of Greenland comprises approx-
Geography Greenland dominates the North Atlantic between imately 972,000 km2 in the north eastern part of
North America and Europe. The population lives in the country
towns and settlements along the coast Area conservation acts Melville Bay and Sarfartooq (The Paradise Valley) by
Geographical coordinates 72 00 N, 40 00 W (the geographical centre of Maniitsoq are under conservation acts. The Ilulis-
Greenland) sat icefjord, Aasivissuit - Nipisat and Kujataa land-
scapes are UNESCO world heritage
Area 2,166,086 km2 (the largest island in the world -
12th largest country in the world)
Ice-free area 410,449 km2 Population
Coastline 44,087 km Population 56,542 (Jan. 2025)
Geographic extent North-South 2,670 km, East-West 1,050 km Density 0.14 per km2 of ice-free area (Jan. 2021)
Highest point Gunnbjørn Fjeld 3,700 m in East Greenland Population in the capital Nuuk: 19,905 (Jan. 2025)
Terrain The flat, gradually sloping icecap covers all but a Population in towns 49,948 (Jan. 2025)
narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast. The ice Population in settlements 6,518 (Jan. 2025)
cap is up to 3 km thick and contains 10 per cent of Population growth rate -0.02 per cent (2024)
the world's resources of fresh water
Death rate, total 9.3 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2024)
Climate Arctic to subarctic; cool winters and cold summers
Net migration -485 (2024)
in which the mean temperature does not normal-
ly exceed 10° C (the traditional definition of po- Infant mortality rate, total 11.2 deaths per 1,000 live births (2023)
lar climate) Life expectancy Women 73.9, men 69.3
Mean temperature, January Nuuk -5.7° C, Kangerlussuaq -17.2° C, Total fertility rate 1.7 per woman aged 15-49 years
Ilulissat -11.0° C, Kulusuk -6.0° C (2024)
Demonym Noun: Greenlander(s). Adjective: Greenlandic
Mean temperature, July Nuuk 5.6° C, Kangerlussuaq 10.1° C, Ilulissat 7.3°
Ethnic groups Born in Greenland: 88 per cent. Born outside
C, Kulusuk 6.2° C (2024)
Greenland: 12 per cent (Jan. 2025)
Natural resources Zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, gold, pla-
Religions The majority of the population is evangelical lu-
tinum, uranium, copper, nickel, rare earth metals,
therans
hydropower and possibly oil and gas
Languages Greenlandic (Kalaallisut), Danish
Plant life Low-growing mountain and tundra plants, mosses,
lichens, heather, crowberry, bog, whortleberry, and
dwarf birch
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Government Electricity - consumption 879 TJ (2023)
Government type Parliamentary democracy within a constitutional Agriculture - products Sheep, cows and reindeer
monarchy Exports 5,212 DKK million (preliminary figures 2024)
Dependency status Part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Home-rule since Exports - commodities Fish, shellfish and fish products
1979. Self-governing region since 2009
Exports - partners Denmark, Iceland
Capital Nuuk
Imports 6,792 DKK million (preliminary figures 2024)
National holiday 21st June (the longest day of the year)
Imports - commodities Machinery and transport equipment, manufactured
Legal system Danish goods, food and beverages, petroleum products
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal Imports - partners EU (primarily Denmark and Sweden)
Membership of the EU From January 1st 1973 to February 1st 1985 Block grant 3,986.0 DKK (2022) and 4,141.5 DKK (2023) mil-
Head of state HMS King Frederik X of Denmark lion in subsidies from Denmark
Head of government Jens-Frederik Nielsen (Demokraatit) Currency Danish Kroner (DKK)
Legislative branch Inatsisartut (the parliament with 31 seats) Exchange rates USD 100 = DKK 691.66 EUR 100 = DKK 746.16
Judiciary Kredsret/Court of Greenland, High Court of Green- (April 1st, 2025)
land and Supreme Court of Denmark
The Greenlandic flag The sun (red) ascending over the horizon and the Communications
ice cap (white) in the flag´s upper half, mirrored in Telephones - mobiles 67,855 (2023)
opposite colors in the lower half
Country calling code 299
Television broadcast Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (national television) and
Economy stations some local television stations
GDP DKK 16,260 million (preliminary figures 2023) Newspapers Atuagagdliutit/Grønlandsposten (AG) and Sermit-
GDP - real growth rate 0.9 per cent from 2022 to 2023 (preliminary fi- siaq
gures)
Average gross income per 1st decile: DKK 48,533. 10th decile: DKK 1,348,055 Transportation
household and Average: DKK 441,923 (2023)
Railways 0 km
Inflation rate (consumer 3.6 per cent (January 2024 - January 2025)
Ports and harbours 13 towns have ports and most of the settlements
prices)
on the coast have port facilities
Labour force 29,049 permanent residents, aged 18-66 (monthly
Airports 13 airports, 43 helipads
average 2023)
Unemployment rate 2.9 per cent on average per month of permanent Source: Greenland Airports, Tusass and Statistics Greenland
residents aged 18-66 (2023)
Budget Income DKK 14.1 billion. Expenditure DKK 13.8 bil-
lion including capital expenditure of DKK 1.6 bil-
lion (2023)
Industries Fish processing (mainly prawns and Greenland ha-
libut), handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards,
tourism and mining
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More information
about greenland National Park
Mount Gunnbjörn
Melville Bay
Valley of Paradise
UNESCO world herritage
National park
Statistics Greenland · Telephone +299 34 57 70 · stat@stat.gl · www.stat.gl