The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 103,000 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Iceland’s coastline is 4.4 times as long as Faroe Islands’
Faroe Islands: 1,117 km (2026 edition) · Iceland: 4,970 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iceland’s highest peak towers 1,228 m above Faroe Islands’
Faroe Islands: 882 m (2026 edition) · Iceland: 2,110 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 70% of Faroe Islands, versus 16% of Iceland
Faroe Islands: 70.1% (2024) · Iceland: 16.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iceland has 7.1 times as many people as Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands: 54,900 (2025) · Iceland: 392,404 (2025)
How crowded is it?
Faroe Islands is 10 times as densely populated as Iceland
Faroe Islands: 40 per km² (2025) · Iceland: 4 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 182.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 168.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Faroe Islands is 1.5 years older than in Iceland
Faroe Islands: 37.3 years (2023) · Iceland: 35.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Faroe Islands have 0.4 more children on average than in Iceland
Faroe Islands: 1.91 children per woman (2024) · Iceland: 1.56 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in Faroe Islands are 65 or older, versus 16% in Iceland
Faroe Islands: 17.8% (2025) · Iceland: 16% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 21.6 per 1,000 (2025)
How many official languages?
Faroe Islands has 2 official languages, Iceland 1
Faroe Islands: 2 (2026) · Iceland: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Iceland’s economy is 9.5 times the size of Faroe Islands’
Faroe Islands: $4.05 billion (2024) · Iceland: $38.6 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Iceland produces 2% more per person than Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands: Int$82,089 (2024) · Iceland: Int$83,431 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 26.8 (2019)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 0.1% (2019)
How many people are looking for work?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 3.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 0% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 23.2% (2023)
How expensive is it?
Iceland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Faroe Islands’
Faroe Islands: 90% (2024) · Iceland: 118% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: $7,642 (2024)
How long do people live?
Faroe Islands and Iceland are practically level
Faroe Islands: 83.1 years (2024) · Iceland: 82.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 2.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 4.4 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 2.8 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is suicide?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 10.4 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 23.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 9.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 7.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 7.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 98.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 3,681 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 1,452 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 5.58 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 3 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 4 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in Iceland are online, versus 98% in Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands: 98% (2017) · Iceland: 98% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Iceland is 2.8 times as fast as in Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands: 135 Mbps (2026) · Iceland: 385 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Faroe Islands and Iceland are practically level
Faroe Islands: 100% (2024) · Iceland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
94% of people in Iceland live in cities, versus 40% in Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands: 40% (2025) · Iceland: 94% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iceland has 121 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Faroe Islands 106
Faroe Islands: 106 (2022) · Iceland: 121 (2024)
How much do they fly?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 11.07 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 0.6% of Iceland, but only 0.1% of Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands: 0.1% (2024) · Iceland: 0.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Faroe Islands emits 35% more CO₂ than someone in Iceland
Faroe Islands: 13.1 t (2024) · Iceland: 9.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of Iceland’s electricity is renewable, versus 47% in Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands: 46.9% (2023) · Iceland: 100% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iceland carries 15% more fine dust than in Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands: 4 µg/m³ (2024) · Iceland: 4.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 1.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Faroe Islands: no data · Iceland: 3.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Faroe Islands is on average 5.4 °C warmer than Iceland
Faroe Islands: 7.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iceland: 2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Iceland gets 35% more rain than Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands: 1,066 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Iceland: 1,439 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Which has more people, Faroe Islands or Iceland?
Iceland has 7.1 times as many people as Faroe Islands (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Faroe Islands or Iceland?
Faroe Islands and Iceland are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 83.1 years in Faroe Islands and 82.8 in Iceland.