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:Demographics of Greenland

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox place demographics|place=Greenland|image=File:Greenland single age population pyramid 2020.png|image_size=350|caption=Population pyramid of Greenland in 2020|size_of_population=57,792 (2022 est.)|nation=Greenlander|official=Greenlandic|spoken=Greenlandic, Danish, English|age_0–14_years=20.82%|age_65_years=10.36%|growth=-0.02% (2022 est.)|birth=13.79 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)|death=8.96 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)|net_migration=-5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)|sr_at_birth=1.05 male(s)/female|sr_under_15=1.03 male(s)/female|sr_65_years_over=0.84 male(s)/female|total_mf_ratio=1.08 male(s)/female (2022 est.)|infant_mortality=8.75 deaths/1,000 live births|life=73.98 years|life_male=71.28 years|life_female=76.82 years|fertility=1.91 children born/woman (2022 est.)}}

This is a demography of the population of Greenland including population density, ethnicity, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

The population pyramid of Greenland was highly impacted by a birth control program conducted by Danish authorities in the 1960s and 70s.

Populations

{{as of|2024|1|1}} the resident population of Greenland was estimated to be 56,699, an increase of 90 (0.2%) from the previous year.{{Cite web |title=PxWeb - Select table |url=https://bank.stat.gl/pxweb/en/Greenland/ |access-date=29 May 2024 |website=bank.stat.gl}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"

|+ Population by municipality
on 1 January 2024

! Municipality !! Population !! % of total !! Annual change

style="text-align:left"| Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq24,38243.00%{{Increase}} +234 (+1.0%)
style="text-align:left"|Avannaata Kommunia10,84619.13%{{Decrease}} −74 (−0.7%)
style="text-align:left"|Qeqqata Kommunia9,20416.23%{{Increase}} +13 (+0.1%)
style="text-align:left"|Kommune Kujalleq6,14510.84%{{Decrease}} −60 (−1.0%)
style="text-align:left"|Kommune Qeqertalik6,05810.68%{{Decrease}} −24 (−0.4%)

Values do not sum to 100% because there were 64 inhabitants living outside the five municipalities, which include residents in the unincorporated Northeast Greenland National Park. Nuuk is the most populous locality in Greenland with 19,872 inhabitants, which is about 35% of Greenland's total population.

=Structure of the population=

{{Hidden begin

|title= Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2013) (Population statistics are compiled from registers.):{{cite web |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040921002557/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm |archive-date=21 September 2004 |title=United Nations Statistics Division - Demographic and Social Statistics}}

|titlestyle = background:#EEBC35;

}}

class="wikitable"
width="80pt"|Age Group

! width="80pt"|Male

! width="80pt"|Female

! width="80pt"|Total

! width="80pt"|%

align="right" | Total

| align="right" | 29 867

| align="right" | 26 616

| align="right" | 56 483

| align="right" | 100

align="right" | 0–4

| align="right" | 2 142

| align="right" | 1 930

| align="right" | 4 072

| align="right" | 7.21

align="right" | 5–9

| align="right" | 2 004

| align="right" | 1 942

| align="right" | 3 946

| align="right" | 6.99

align="right" | 10–14

| align="right" | 2 088

| align="right" | 2 022

| align="right" | 4 110

| align="right" | 7.28

align="right" | 15–19

| align="right" | 2 130

| align="right" | 2 111

| align="right" | 4 241

| align="right" | 7.51

align="right" | 20–24

| align="right" | 2 350

| align="right" | 2 283

| align="right" | 4 633

| align="right" | 8.20

align="right" | 25–29

| align="right" | 2 159

| align="right" | 2 081

| align="right" | 4 240

| align="right" | 7.51

align="right" | 30–34

| align="right" | 1 954

| align="right" | 1 864

| align="right" | 3 818

| align="right" | 6.76

align="right" | 35–39

| align="right" | 1 730

| align="right" | 1 440

| align="right" | 3 170

| align="right" | 5.61

align="right" | 40–44

| align="right" | 2 008

| align="right" | 1 690

| align="right" | 3 698

| align="right" | 6.55

align="right" | 45–49

| align="right" | 2 980

| align="right" | 2 537

| align="right" | 5 517

| align="right" | 9.77

align="right" | 50–54

| align="right" | 2 599

| align="right" | 2 123

| align="right" | 4 722

| align="right" | 8.36

align="right" | 55–59

| align="right" | 2 092

| align="right" | 1 546

| align="right" | 3 638

| align="right" | 6.44

align="right" | 60–64

| align="right" | 1 425

| align="right" | 1 036

| align="right" | 2 461

| align="right" | 4.36

align="right" | 65–69

| align="right" | 1 071

| align="right" | 731

| align="right" | 1 802

| align="right" | 3.19

align="right" | 70–74

| align="right" | 629

| align="right" | 594

| align="right" | 1 223

| align="right" | 2.17

align="right" | 75–79

| align="right" | 319

| align="right" | 365

| align="right" | 684

| align="right" | 1.21

align="right" | 80–84

| align="right" | 143

| align="right" | 229

| align="right" | 372

| align="right" | 0.66

align="right" | 85–89

| align="right" | 39

| align="right" | 80

| align="right" | 119

| align="right" | 0.21

align="right" | 90–94

| align="right" | 4

| align="right" | 10

| align="right" | 14

| align="right" | 0.02

align="right" | 95–99

| align="right" | 1

| align="right" | 2

| align="right" | 3

| align="right" | <0.01

width="50"|Age group

! width="80pt"|Male

! width="80"|Female

! width="80"|Total

! width="50"|Percent

align="right" | 0–14

| align="right" | 6 234

| align="right" | 5 894

| align="right" | 12 128

| align="right" | 21.47

align="right" | 15–64

| align="right" | 21 427

| align="right" | 18 711

| align="right" | 40 138

| align="right" | 71.06

align="right" | 65+

| align="right" | 2 206

| align="right" | 2 011

| align="right" | 4 217

| align="right" | 7.47

{{Hidden end}}

{{Hidden begin

|title= Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2021) (Population statistics are compiled from registers.): {{Cite web |title=UNSD - Demographic and Social Statistics |url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/#statistics |access-date=10 May 2023 |website=unstats.un.org}}

|titlestyle = background:#EEBC35;

}}

class="wikitable"
width="80pt"|Age Group

! width="80pt"|Male

! width="80pt"|Female

! width="80pt"|Total

! width="80pt"|%

align="right" | Total

| align="right" | 29 855

| align="right" | 26 798

| align="right" | 56 653

| align="right" | 100

align="right" | 0–4

| align="right" | 2 058

| align="right" | 1 987

| align="right" | 4 045

| align="right" | 7.14

align="right" | 5–9

| align="right" | 1 994

| align="right" | 1 855

| align="right" | 3 849

| align="right" | 6.79

align="right" | 10–14

| align="right" | 1 991

| align="right" | 1 840

| align="right" | 3 831

| align="right" | 6.76

align="right" | 15–19

| align="right" | 1 851

| align="right" | 1 760

| align="right" | 3 611

| align="right" | 6.37

align="right" | 20–24

| align="right" | 1 972

| align="right" | 1 943

| align="right" | 3 915

| align="right" | 6.91

align="right" | 25–29

| align="right" | 2 363

| align="right" | 2 268

| align="right" | 4 631

| align="right" | 8.17

align="right" | 30–34

| align="right" | 2 398

| align="right" | 2 338

| align="right" | 4 736

| align="right" | 8.36

align="right" | 35–39

| align="right" | 2 096

| align="right" | 1 902

| align="right" | 3 998

| align="right" | 7.06

align="right" | 40–44

| align="right" | 1 793

| align="right" | 1 517

| align="right" | 3 310

| align="right" | 5.84

align="right" | 45–49

| align="right" | 1 630

| align="right" | 1 289

| align="right" | 2 919

| align="right" | 5.15

align="right" | 50–54

| align="right" | 2 215

| align="right" | 1 922

| align="right" | 4 137

| align="right" | 7.30

align="right" | 55–59

| align="right" | 2 577

| align="right" | 2 174

| align="right" | 4 751

| align="right" | 8.39

align="right" | 60–64

| align="right" | 2 108

| align="right" | 1 615

| align="right" | 3 723

| align="right" | 6.57

align="right" | 65–69

| align="right" | 1 285

| align="right" | 992

| align="right" | 2 277

| align="right" | 4.02

align="right" | 70–74

| align="right" | 776

| align="right" | 618

| align="right" | 1 394

| align="right" | 2.46

align="right" | 75–79

| align="right" | 485

| align="right" | 433

| align="right" | 918

| align="right" | 1.62

align="right" | 80–84

| align="right" | 194

| align="right" | 219

| align="right" | 413

| align="right" | 0.73

align="right" | 85–89

| align="right" | 52

| align="right" | 92

| align="right" | 144

| align="right" | 0.25

align="right" | 90–94

| align="right" | 13

| align="right" | 29

| align="right" | 42

| align="right" | 0.07

align="right" | 95+

| align="right" | 4

| align="right" | 5

| align="right" | 9

| align="right" | 0.02

width="50"|Age group

! width="80pt"|Male

! width="80"|Female

! width="80"|Total

! width="50"|Percent

align="right" | 0–14

| align="right" | 6 043

| align="right" | 5 682

| align="right" | 11 725

| align="right" | 20.70

align="right" | 15–64

| align="right" | 20 886

| align="right" | 18 728

| align="right" | 39 614

| align="right" | 69.92

align="right" | 65+

| align="right" | 2 926

| align="right" | 2 388

| align="right" | 5 314

| align="right" | 9.38

{{Hidden end}}

Vital statistics

[http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm#2001 United nations. Demographic Yearbooks]{{Cite web |url=https://stat.gl/default.asp?lang=en |title=Grønlands Statistik |website=stat.gl}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
width="70pt"|Year

! width="70pt"|Average population

! width="70pt"|Live births

! width="70pt"|Deaths

! width="70pt"|Natural change

! width="70pt"|Crude birth rate (per 1000)

! width="70pt"|Crude death rate (per 1000)

! width="70pt"|Natural change (per 1000)

! width="70pt"|Total fertility rate

! width="70pt"|Infant mortality rate

1900

| 12,000

| 416

306110

|35.6

26.29.4

|

|

1901

| 12,000

| 461

301160

|38.7

25.313.4

|

|

1902

| 12,000

| 426

259167

|35.5

21.613.9

|

|

1903

| 12,000

| 428

327101

|35.1

26.88.3

|

|

1904

| 12,000

| 535

283252

|43.5

23.020.5

|

|

1905

| 13,000

| 487

292195

|39.0

23.415.6

|

|

1906

| 13,000

| 493

366127

|39.1

29.010.1

|

|

1907

| 13,000

| 476

362114

|37.2

28.38.9

|

|

1908

| 13,000

| 543

378165

|42.1

29.312.8

|

|

1909

| 13,000

| 564

448116

|43.1

34.28.9

|

|

1910

| 13,000

| 443

35489

|33.6

26.86.7

|

|

1911

| 13,000

| 577

56215

|43.1

41.91.1

|

|

1912

| 14,000

| 482

38993

|35.7

28.86.9

|

|

1913

| 14,000

| 592

390202

|43.5

28.714.9

|

|

1914

| 14,000

| 531

45873

|38.8

33.45.3

|

|

1915

| 14,000

| 545

428117

|39.8

31.28.5

|

|

1916

| 14,000

| 545

44798

|39.5

32.47.1

|

|

1917

| 14,000

| 547

312235

|39.4

22.416.9

|

|

1918

| 14,000

| 550

328222

|39.3

23.415.9

|

|

1919

| 14,000

| 510

614style="color: red"|−104

|36.2

43.5−7.4

|

|

1920

| 14,000

| 569

429140

|40.1

30.29.9

|

|

1921

| 14,000

| 610

56545

|42.7

39.53.1

|

|

1922

| 15,000

| 545

396149

|37.3

27.110.2

|

|

1923

| 15,000

| 563

326237

|38.0

22.016.0

|

|

1924

| 15,000

| 580

426154

|38.4

28.210.2

|

|

1925

| 15,000

| 660

58278

|42.9

37.85.1

|

|

1926

| 16,000

| 619

340279

|39.7

21.817.9

|

|

1927

| 16,000

| 615

322293

|38.7

20.318.4

|

|

1928

| 16,000

| 680

366314

|42.0

22.619.4

|

|

1929

| 17,000

| 743

353390

|45.0

21.423.6

|

|

1930

| 17,000

| 768

383385

|45.7

22.822.9

|

|

1931

| 17,000

| 779

431348

|46.1

25.520.6

|

|

1932

| 17,000

| 728

625103

|43.3

37.16.2

|

|

1933

| 17,000

| 776

370406

|45.6

21.823.8

|

|

1934

| 17,000

| 807

503304

|46.4

28.917.5

|

|

1935

| 18,000

| 813

835−22

|46.5

47.7−1.3

|

|

1936

| 18,000

| 740

811−71

|42.0

46.1−4.0

|

|

1937

| 18,000

| 767

474293

|43.1

26.616.5

|

|

1938

| 18,000

| 731

375356

|40.4

20.719.7

|

|

1939

| 18,000

| 762

68082

|41.6

37.24.5

|

|

1940

| 19,000

| 873

356517

|46.9

19.127.8

|

|

1941

| 19,000

| 815

364451

|42.7

19.123.6

|

|

1942

| 20,000

| 904

448456

|46.1

22.923.3

|

|

1943

| 20,000

| 796

429367

|39.8

21.518.4

|

|

1944

| 20,000

| 911

491420

|44.7

24.120.6

|

|

1945

| 21,000

| 818

408410

|39.5

19.719.8

|

|

1946

| 21,000

| 920

416504

|43.6

19.723.9

|

|

1947

| 22,000

| 953

490463

|44.1

22.721.4

|

|

1948

| 22,000

| 883

499384

|40.5

22.917.6

|align="right" style="color: blue" |5.695

|

1949

| 22,000

| 989

style="color: red"| 89891

|44.7

40.64.1

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.045

|

1950

| 23,000

|1,129

539590

|50.0

23.826.1

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.930

|

1951

| 23,000

| 999

550449

|42.9

23.619.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |5.770

|

1952

| 24,000

|1,034

475559

|43.1

19.823.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |5.960

|

1953

| 25,000

|1,109

398711

|44.9

16.128.8

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.150

|

1954

| 26,000

|1,136

388748

|44.4

15.229.2

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.310

|

1955

| 27,000

|1,234

375859

|46.4

14.132.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.605

|

1956

| 27,000

|1,293

351942

|47.2

12.834.4

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.670

|

1957

| 29,000

|1,361

3371,024

|47.6

11.835.8

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.925

|

1958

| 30,000

|1,410

2901,120

|47.2

9.737.5

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.815

|

1959

| 31,000

|1,491

2851,206

|47.6

9.138.5

|align="right" style="color: blue" |7.145

|

1960

| 33,000

|1,586

2561,330

|48.6

7.840.7

|align="right" style="color: blue" |7.245

|

1961

| 34,000

|1,644

2921,352

|48.8

8.740.1

|align="right" style="color: blue" |7.310

|

1962

| 35,000

|1,610

3611,249

|46.1

10.335.8

|align="right" style="color: blue" |7.085

|

1963

| 36,000

|1,671

2791,392

|46.2

7.738.5

|align="right" style="color: blue" |7.035

|

1964

| 38,000

|style="color: blue"|1,797

329style="color: blue|1,468

|47.4

8.738.7

|align="right" style="color: blue" |7.270

|

1965

| 39,000

|1,738

3371,401

|44.3

8.635.7

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.960

|

1966

| 41,000

|1,781

3291,452

|43.5

8.035.5

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.995

|

1967

| 43,000

|1,685

3141,371

|39.3

7.332.0

|align="right" style="color: blue" |6.395

|

1968

| 45,000

|1,576

3331,243

|35.3

7.427.8

|align="right" style="color: blue" |5.845

|

1969

| 46,000

|1,310

311999

|28.5

6.821.7

|align="right" style="color: blue" |4.580

|

1970

| 46,000

|1,144

283861

|24.7

6.118.6

|align="right" style="color: blue" |3.900

|

1971

| 47,000

|1,028

289739

|21.8

6.115.7

|align="right" style="color: blue" |3.245

|

1972

| 48,000

| 948

295653

|19.6

6.113.5

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.770

|

1973

| 49,000

| 940

339601

|19.2

6.912.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.690

|36.2

1974

| 50,000

| 866

332534

|17.5

6.710.8

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.300

|28.9

1975

| 50,000

| 815

313502

|17.5

6.311.2

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.345

|36.8

1976

| 50,000

| 859

348511

|17.3

7.010.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.255

|32.6

1977

| 49,000

| 918

373545

|18.6

7.211.4

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.349

|42.5

1978

| 49,000

| 870

309561

|17.7

6.411.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.197

|26.4

1979

| 50,000

| 900

393507

|18.2

8.110.0

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.187

|37.8

1980

| 50,000

|1,034

380654

|20.5

7.612.8

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.435

|31.9

1981

| 51,000

|1,056

381675

|20.6

7.513.1

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.332

|31.3

1982

| 52,000

|1,052

408644

|20.6

8.212.4

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.236

|37.1

1983

| 52,000

| 994

433561

|18.9

8.310.6

|2.054

|37.2

1984

| 53,000

|1,054

439615

|20.0

8.311.7

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.107

|28.5

1985

| 53,000

|1,152

435717

|21.4

8.213.2

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.241

|24.3

1986

| 54,000

|1,055

445610

|19.7

8.311.4

|2.044

|22.7

1987

| 54,000

|1,104

445659

|20.4

8.212.2

|2.083

|26.3

1988

| 55,000

|1,213

432781

|22.1

7.914.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.317

|16.5

1989

| 55,000

|1,210

455755

|21.9

8.213.7

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.299

|21.5

1990

| 56,000

|1,258

467791

|22.6

8.414.2

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.444

|32.6

1991

| 56,000

|1,192

458734

|21.5

8.313.2

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.421

|34.4

1992

| 55,000

|1,237

441796

|22.4

8.014.4

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.607

|12.9

1993

| 55,000

|1,180

432748

|21.3

7.813.5

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.578

|26.3

1994

| 56,000

|1,139

445694

|20.5

8.012.5

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.516

|22.8

1995

| 56,000

|1,101

480621

|19.7

8.611.1

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.542

|20.9

1996

| 56,000

|1,051

444607

|18.8

8.010.9

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.513

|22.8

1997

| 56,000

|1,095

492603

|19.6

8.810.8

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.774

|18.3

1998

| 56,000

| 980

457523

|17.5

8.19.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.491

|20.4

1999

| 56,000

| 945

479466

|16.8

8.58.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.482

|16.9

2000

| 56,000

| 879

450429

|15.7

8.07.7

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.410

|18.2

2001

| 56,000

| 942

466476

|16.8

8.38.5

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.506

|10.6

2002

| 57,000

| 954

446508

|16.9

7.89.1

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.608

|13.6

2003

| 57,000

| 879

411468

|15.4

7.28.2

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.328

|8.0

2004

| 57,000

| 892

479413

|15.6

8.47.2

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.434

|13.5

2005

| 57,000

| 886

465421

|15.5

8.17.4

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.326

|7.9

2006

| 57,000

| 842

440402

|14.8

7.77.1

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.276

|16.6

2007

| 57,000

| 853

452401

|15.1

7.97.2

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.220

|10.6

2008

| 56,000

| 834

428406

|14.9

7.67.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.249

|9.6

2009

| 56,000

| 895

437458

|16.0

7.88.2

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.340

|4.5

2010

| 56,000

| 869

504365

|15.5

9.06.5

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.185

|8.1

2011

| 57,000

| 821

476345

|14.4

8.36.1

|2.097

|11.0

2012

| 57,000

| 786

459327

|13.8

8.05.8

|2.007

|8.9

2013

| 56,000

| 820

444376

|14.6

7.96.7

|2.066

|8.5

2014

| 56,000

| 805

461344

|14.4

8.26.2

|1.985

|7.5

2015

| 56,000

| 854

472382

|15.2

8.46.8

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.116

|10.5

2016

| 56,000

| 830

487343

|14.8

8.76.1

|2.061

|7.2

2017

| 56,000

| 853

499354

|15.2

8.96.3

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.123

|7.0

2018

| 56,000

| 819

487332

|14.6

8.75.9

|2.022

|7.3

2019

| 56,000

| 849

548301

|15.2

9.85.4

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.115

|11.8

2020

| 56,000

| 835

520315

|14.9

9.35.6

|align="right" style="color: blue" |2.109

|8.4

2021

| 56,000

| 761

531230

|13.4

9.34.1

|1.820

|14.5

2022

| 57,000

| 748

525223

|13.2

9.33.9

|1.815

|12.0

2023

| 57,000

| 716

534182

|12.7

9.43.3

|1.769

|12.6

2024

| 57,000

| 684

521163

|12.0

9.22.9

|align="right" style="color: red" |

|11.7

=Life expectancy at birth=

total population:

71.25 years


male:

68.6 years


female:

74.04 years (2012 est.)

Ethnic groups

{{bar box

|title=Ethnic groups of Greenland (2018){{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/greenland/ |title=North America: Greenland |date=27 September 2021 |publisher=CIA The World Factbook}}

|titlebar=#ddd

|left1=Ethnic groups

|right1=percent

|float=left

|bars=

{{bar percent|Inuit|Blue|89.7}}

{{bar percent|Danish |Orange|7.8}}

{{bar percent|Other Nordic |Green|1.1}}

{{bar percent|Other |Pink|1.4}}

}}

class="infobox"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" |Significant minority groups{{Cite web |title=Population by age, citizenship, gender and time |url=https://bank.stat.gl/pxweb/en/Greenland/Greenland__BE__BE01__BE0125/BEXST6.px/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=Statbank |language=en}}

Nationality||Population (2024)
{{flag|Philippines}}921
{{flag|Thailand}}349
{{flag|Poland}}138
{{flag|Iceland}}122
{{flag|Sri Lanka}}

|121

{{flag|Sweden}}78
{{flag|China}}65
{{flag|Norway}}63
{{flag|Germany}}54
{{flag|USA}}39
Other America39

The population of Greenland consists of Greenlandic Inuit (including mixed-race people), Danish Greenlanders and other Europeans and North Americans. The Inuit population makes up approximately 85–90% of the total (2009 est.). 6,792 people from Denmark live in Greenland, which is 12% of its total population.

In recent years, Greenland experienced a significant increase in immigration from Asia, especially from the Philippines, Thailand, and China.

Languages

The only official language of Greenland is Greenlandic.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/country/GL/languages |title=Ethnolgue}} The number of speakers of Greenlandic is estimated at 50,000 (85–90% of the total population), divided in three main dialects, Kalaallisut (West-Greenlandic, 44,000 speakers and the dialect that is used as official language), Tunumiit (East-Greenlandic, 3,000 speakers) and Inuktun (North-Greenlandic, 800 speakers). The remainder of the population mainly speaks Danish; Inuit Sign Language is the language of the deaf community.

Religion

{{main|Religion in Greenland}}{{Pie chart|thumb=right|caption=Religion in Greenland (2010):{{Cite web |date=21 June 2009 |title=Greenland, Religion and Social Profile | National Profiles | International Data |url=http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_94_1.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924211510/http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_94_1.asp |archive-date=24 September 2017 |access-date=18 June 2016 |website=Thearda.com}}{{Cite web |date=19 December 2011 |title=Table: Christian Population as Percentages of Total Population by Country | Pew Research Center |url=http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/table-christian-population-as-percentages-of-total-population-by-country/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511124911/http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/table-christian-population-as-percentages-of-total-population-by-country/ |archive-date=11 May 2017 |access-date=27 September 2017}}|label1=Protestantism|value1=95.5|color1=DodgerBlue|label2=Roman Catholicism|value2=0.2|color2=DarkOrchid|label3=Other Christian|value3=0.4|color3=Turquoise|label4=Inuit spiritual beliefs|value4=0.8|color4=Red|label5=Agnostic|value5=2.3|color5=Honeydew|label6=Atheist|value6=0.2|color6=Grey|label7=Other religion|value7=0.6|color7=Yellow}}File:Nanortalik church.jpg (Bjørnsted), have their own Lutheran church under the Church of Denmark|left]]

The nomadic Inuit were traditionally shamanistic, with a well-developed mythology primarily concerned with propitiating a vengeful and fingerless sea Goddess who controlled the success of the seal and whale hunts.

The first Norse colonists were pagan, but Erik the Red's son Leif was converted to Catholic Christianity by King Olaf Trygvesson on a trip to Norway in 990 and sent missionaries back to Greenland. These swiftly established sixteen parishes, some monasteries, and a bishopric at Garðar.

Rediscovering these colonists and spreading the Protestant Reformation among them was one of the primary reasons for the Danish recolonization in the 18th century. Under the patronage of the Royal Mission College in Copenhagen, Norwegian and Danish Lutherans and German Moravian missionaries searched for the missing Norse settlements and began converting the Inuit. The principal figures in the Christianization of Greenland were Hans and Poul Egede and Matthias Stach. The New Testament was translated piecemeal from the time of the very first settlement on Kangeq Island, but the first translation of the whole Bible was not completed until 1900. An improved translation using the modern orthography was completed in 2000.{{cite web |author=Leif Kiil Sørensen |url=http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/artikel/225350:Kirke---tro--Groenlandsk-bibel-praesenteret |title=Grønlandsk bibel præsenteret | Kristeligt Dagblad |publisher=Kristeligt-dagblad.dk |date=29 November 2000 |access-date=6 September 2010}}

Today, the major religion is Protestant Christianity, mostly members of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. While there is no official census data on religion in Greenland, the Lutheran Bishop of Greenland Sofie Petersen[http://www.oikoumene.org/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1634/bells-ring-a-wake-up-call.html "Bells ring a wake-up call for climate justice."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325215706/http://www.oikoumene.org/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1634/bells-ring-a-wake-up-call.html |date=25 March 2012 }} World Council of Churches. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010 estimated that 85% of the Greenlandic population were members of its congregation in 2009.{{cite web |url=http://www.groenlandsstift.dk/fileadmin/filer/Biskoppen/Groenland_GRUNDLOVEN_og_GEJSTLIGHEDEN_1005_2009_laast_til_ado.pdf |title=Grønland, Grundloven og Gejstligheden |access-date=30 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425231654/https://www.groenlandsstift.dk/fileadmin/filer/Biskoppen/Groenland_GRUNDLOVEN_og_GEJSTLIGHEDEN_1005_2009_laast_til_ado.pdf |archive-date=25 April 2012}} Estimates in 2022 put the figure at 93%.[https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/denmark/ US State Dept 2022

Kurds inhabited Al-Jazeera, which is part of Kurdistan. report]

Spiral case

{{main|Spiral case}}

In the 1960s and 70s, Greenland was subject to one of the most impactful eugenics programs ever implemented. At least 4,500 Inuit women were involuntarily implanted with IUD's without their knowledge or consent - about half the fertile population at the time. Within a generation, the birthrate declined by 50%, which led to multigenerational demographic effects. Public officials at the time blamed the decline in birthrate on poverty and cultural trends, but the extent of the involuntary program became public only in 2022 in an investigation known as the spiral case.{{cite news |last1=Murray |first1=Adrienne |title=Inuit Greenlanders demand answers over Danish birth control scandal |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63049387 |work=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=30 September 2022}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Greenland topics}}

{{North America in topic|Demographics of}}

{{Ethnicity}}

Category:Society of Greenland