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Changing Migration Patterns: Long-Term Trends in International Migration in Iceland from the Late Nineteenth Century to the PresentSunday, November 1, 2026, at 2:00 pm
University of Victoria, Clearihue A207
Ólöf Garðarsdóttir, Professor of Social History in the School of Humanities at the University of Iceland
In her presentation Ólöf Garðarsdóttir discusses Iceland’s transformation from a country of emigration to one of Europe’s most immigration-intensive societies, with the share of residents of immigrant background rising from less than 2% in the early 1990s to over 20% today. She places this recent development within a longer history of international mobility among Icelanders, highlighting high rates of emigration to the Americas in the 19th century, strong ties to Denmark and the other Nordic countries, and a distinctive pattern of return migration among Icelanders.
Since the turn of the twenty-first century, Iceland has transformed from a country with only marginal immigration to one with one of the highest immigration rates in Europe. In the early 1990s, fewer than 2 per cent of the population had an immigrant background, compared with more than 20 per cent today.
Although immigration to Iceland remained limited until recently, the Icelandic-born population has long been characterized by high levels of mobility. Iceland was part of the Danish Kingdom until 1918, and throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was common for members of the intellectual elite to spend several years in Denmark. During the era of mass European migration to the Americas, Iceland also experienced exceptionally high levels of emigration. Relative to population size, emigration rates from Iceland were higher than those of any other European country except Ireland.
These connections with Denmark, and later with the other Nordic countries, have remained strong to the present day. Compared with their Nordic neighbours, Icelanders have, at least since the 1960s, been several times more likely to emigrate. A distinctive feature of Icelandic migration has been the high rate of return migration. Thus more than 70 per cent of Icelandic emigrants return within seven years.
Countries with small populations often face challenges in providing diverse educational, occupational, and cultural opportunities, particularly for young people. They may also struggle to sustain dynamic economies, essential services, and vibrant social and cultural life. I argue that the high level of international mobility in Iceland has, over time, created new opportunities not only for migrants themselves, but also for their families, social networks, and Icelandic society more broadly.
Ólöf Garðarsdóttir is Professor in social history at the University of Iceland. Her research interests include family history, history of education and historical demography. Currently, Ólöf leads the Nordic research infrastructure project NordHistPop, which brings together researchers, archivists, and programmers from the Nordic countries, Canada, and the United States. The projectʼs primary objective is to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the creation of historical population databases, automated data transcription, classification systems, data dissemination, and, above all, record linkage. Particular emphasis is placed on developing methods and tools for linking information on individuals both within and across national borders, thereby enabling new insights into demographic trends, family and household formation, migration, and social mobility over time. One important strand of the project focuses on Nordic immigrant communities in North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the aim of reconstructing the life courses of Nordic migrants in Canada and the United States.
The Richard and Margaret Beck Lectures on Icelandic Literature:
The Beck Lecture series at the University of Victoria focuses on various aspects of Icelandic literature and culture. Richard and Margaret Beck made provision in their wills for a special fund to be established at the University of Victoria to provide public lectures on Icelandic language and literature. Richard passed away on July 23, 1980, and Margaret on December 10, 1985. The first Richard and Margaret Beck Lecture on Icelandic Literature took place on February 14, 1988. Since then, the University of Victoria has hosted over 80 lectures on a wide range of topics.
Learn more: https://becklectures.uvic.ca/
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Event venue
Clearihue A207, 3800 Finnerty Rd., Victoria, BC, Canada, British Columbia V8P 5C2
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