Country profile · Europe & Central Asia

🇬🇱 Greenland

High income. Capital Nuuk. Full World Bank, WHO, ILO & OECD indicator profile across 19 measures, with regional peers and rankings.

56.8K
Population
$3.3 billion
GDP
$58,499
GDP / capita
70.3 years
Life expectancy
Europe & Central Asia High income Capital: Nuuk

The verdict

Greenland ranks 180th of 217 by total GDP and 152nd for life expectancy - a high income economy in Europe & Central Asia.

#180
World GDP rank (of 217)
$58,499
GDP per capita
#152
Life-expectancy rank
#201
Population rank

Ranks are computed across the 217 countries with data for each indicator; see the full tables and sources below.

Greenland on the global income map

Greenland (GRL) plotted alongside its largest economic peers on GDP per capita and the Human Development Index. Bubble area scales with population; color encodes income tier; gold rings mark OECD members.

Greenland on the global income map Greenland positioned on the GDP-per-capita / HDI plane against its largest economic peers. 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 $200 $1K $10K $100K GDP per capita (USD, log scale) Human Development Index (0–1) India - GDP/cap $2,695 · lower-middle income IND China - GDP/cap $13,303 · upper-middle income CHN United States - GDP/cap $84,534 · high income · OECD USA Indonesia - GDP/cap $4,925 · upper-middle income IDN Pakistan - GDP/cap $1,479 · lower-middle income Nigeria - GDP/cap $1,084 · low income Brazil - GDP/cap $10,311 · upper-middle income Bangladesh - GDP/cap $2,593 · lower-middle income Russian Federation - GDP/cap $14,889 · high income Ethiopia - GDP/cap $1,134 · low income Mexico - GDP/cap $14,186 · high income · OECD Japan - GDP/cap $32,487 · high income · OECD Egypt, Arab Rep. - GDP/cap $3,338 · lower-middle income Philippines - GDP/cap $3,985 · lower-middle income Congo, Dem. Rep. - GDP/cap $693 · low income Viet Nam - GDP/cap $4,717 · upper-middle income Iran, Islamic Rep. - GDP/cap $5,190 · upper-middle income Turkiye - GDP/cap $15,893 · high income · OECD Germany - GDP/cap $56,104 · high income · OECD Thailand - GDP/cap $7,387 · upper-middle income United Kingdom - GDP/cap $53,246 · high income · OECD Tanzania - GDP/cap $1,193 · lower-middle income France - GDP/cap $46,103 · high income · OECD South Africa - GDP/cap $6,267 · upper-middle income Italy - GDP/cap $40,385 · high income · OECD Kenya - GDP/cap $2,133 · lower-middle income Myanmar - GDP/cap $1,359 · lower-middle income Colombia - GDP/cap $7,951 · upper-middle income · OECD Korea, Rep. - GDP/cap $36,239 · high income · OECD Sudan - GDP/cap $985 · low income Greenland - GDP/cap $58,499 · high income Income tier Low Lower-middle Upper-middle High OECD member

Indicators tracked

19

Across 8 topic areas

GDP per capita

$58,499

Latest WB report

Population

56.8K

UN estimate

OECD member

No

Outside OECD harmonized stats

Population
56.8K
GDP
$3.3 billion
GDP per Capita
$58,499
Life Expectancy
70.3 years

Overview

Greenland has a population of 56.8K, making it the 201st-most populous country out of 217 tracked in Europe & Central Asia.

Its economy totals $3.3 billion - ranked 180th globally by total GDP. GDP per capita stands at $58,499, placing it in the High income category.

Life expectancy at birth is 70.3 years (ranked 152nd globally), reflecting overall health outcomes as measured by the World Bank.

The capital is Nuuk.

👥 Demographics

Population
56.8K
2024
Population Ages 0-14
20.8%
2024
Population Ages 65+
10.8%
2024
Population Density
0.1/km²
2023
Urban Population
88.3%
2024

💰 Economy

GDP (Current USD)
$3.3 billion
2023
GDP Growth Rate
0.9%
2023
GDP Per Capita (Current USD)
$58,498.971
2023
Trade (% of GDP)
91.9%
2023

🏥 Health

Life Expectancy at Birth
70.3 years
2024

🌍 Environment

CO2 Emissions Per Capita
10.5
2024
Forest Area
0.0
2023
Renewable Energy Consumption
11.7%
2022

🏗️ Infrastructure

Access to Electricity
100.0%
2023
Access to Sanitation
0.0%
2022
Internet Users
69.5%
2017
Mobile Subscriptions
118.6
2022

⚖️ Social

Intentional Homicides
5.4
2016
Net Migration
-284
2024

🫀 Disease Burden

Key causes of death and disease risk in Greenland. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory.

Sources: WHO Global Health Observatory. NCD mortality rate: latest available. Rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population. Premature NCD risk covers cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease.

Compare Greenland with Another Country

What the data says about Greenland

Greenland sits in the high-income bracket but outside the OECD's harmonized reporting network, so its statistics come straight from the World Bank, WHO, and ILO source series rather than a jointly reconciled OECD dataset - still official, but with less cross-checking between agencies than an OECD member gets. Because output and income figures are converted at market exchange rates into current dollars, they can swing with currency movements independent of any real change in living standards, and for a small economy like this one that swing shows up more visibly in the headline numbers than it would for a larger country. The fuller picture comes from comparing Greenland against income-tier peers of a similar size.

Greenland sits in Europe & Central Asia with a population of 56.8K, placing it 201st out of 217 countries by headcount. Its capital, Nuuk, anchors a High income economy with total GDP of $3.3 billion - ranked 180th globally, and GDP per capita of $58,499. This combination of demographic scale and economic output shapes everything from household purchasing power and domestic market depth to the country's weight in regional trade flows and international development programmes.

Life expectancy at birth in Greenland is 70.3 years, ranking 152nd worldwide and offering a summary read on healthcare access, nutrition, sanitation, and long-run living standards. The World Bank's World Development Indicators, combined with the WHO Global Health Observatory and ILO ILOSTAT wage statistics, expose 19 data points across 6 thematic areas, from fertility and urbanisation to CO₂ emissions, school enrolment, and labour-force participation. Reading these indicators together, rather than in isolation, is what turns headline numbers into a grounded portrait of how people actually live.

Use the indicator tables below to track trajectories over time, jump to Greenland's placement on specific rankings such as GDP, population density, or life expectancy, and open the side-by-side Compare view to benchmark against peers inside Europe & Central Asia or across income groups. Because all figures come from official, CC BY 4.0-licensed datasets with clear vintages, you can cite them directly in research or journalism. Where a field reads "N/A", the upstream agency has not yet released that value for Greenland - we never fabricate estimates or carry forward stale values, so missing points stay visible rather than quietly filled in.

Using the Greenland profile

A single rank only means something in context, read Greenland's numbers against its peers and over time.

  • Put Greenland side-by-side with another country to see exactly where the gaps are. Compare countries
  • See the full GDP table to find every country above and below Greenland's #180 position. GDP rankings
  • Browse Europe & Central Asia to benchmark Greenland against its regional peers. Regional peers

Figures come from official World Bank, WHO, ILO and OECD releases; observation years differ by indicator (shown in the “Year” column) and unavailable values appear as “N/A” rather than estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the data for Greenland come from?

Data for Greenland is sourced from the World Bank Open Data catalog, WHO Global Health Observatory, and ILO ILOSTAT (for average wages and working hours). These are official, publicly available datasets.

How current is the data for Greenland?

It varies by indicator - most points are 2020-2024. See our methodology page for the update cadence per source.

Can I compare Greenland with other countries?

Yes - use the compare tool above, or the rankings catalog to see where Greenland stands on any single indicator.

What does GDP per capita tell us about Greenland?

Greenland's total output divided by its population, in current US dollars - an approximate read on average economic productivity per person. See our methodology page for the PPP-adjustment caveats.

How does Greenland's life expectancy compare to the global average?

70.3 years, ranking 152nd of 217 countries tracked - against a global average near 73 years.

Does PlainCountries cover visa or travel information for Greenland?

No - PlainCountries is development and health data only. PlainVisa (plainvisa.com) covers immigration policy; PlainFlights (plainflights.com) covers flight routes.

Source: World Bank Open Data, Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, Source: ILO ILOSTAT. World Bank and ILO data licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or policy advice. Data is sourced from the World Bank, WHO, ILO, and OECD. See our full disclaimer and editorial policy.