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Country profile

Icelandic nationals in Japan

Total residents (2025)
90
Total Population of Iceland: ~390,000
Growth (past 10 years)
+25.0%
72 in 2015 → 90 in 2025

Top visa types (2025)

Student
25
Spouse of Japanese
16
Engineer / Humanities
13
Family stay
12
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The Average Icelandic Migrant

Male profile

The average Icelandic male in Japan is a spouse of a Japanese national in his late thirties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age35–39
Top visaSpouse of Japanese (26.3%)
2nd visaPermanent resident (17.5%)
Population57 (63.3%)
Female profile

The average Icelandic female in Japan is a student in her late twenties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age25–29
Top visaStudent (45.5%)
2nd visaEngineer / Humanities (21.2%)
Population33 (36.7%)

Population over time

Total Icelandic residents

Annual figures, 2006–2025 — hover the line for details
02040608010020062010201520202025
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2024
Permanent resident Engineer / Humanities Spouse of Japanese Instructor Student Others

Visa Types

What do these visa types mean? →

Status of residence (2025)

Current snapshot
0 10 20 30 Student Student: 25 25 Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese: 16 16 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 13 13 Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent: 12 12 Permanent resident Permanent resident: 11 11 Designated activities Designated activities: 4 4 Business manager Business manager: 2 2 Professor Professor: 2 2 High-skilled professional High-skilled professional: 2 2 Instructor Instructor: 1 1 Legal / Accounting Legal / Accounting: 1 1 Religion Religion: 1 1
0 10 20 30 Student Student 2015: 31 31 25 (2025) Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese 2015: 11 Spouse of Japanese 2025: 16 11 16 (2025) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2015: 11 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2025: 13 11 13 (2025) Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent 2015: 4 Family stay / Dependent 2025: 12 4 12 (2025) Permanent resident Permanent resident 2015: 6 Permanent resident 2025: 11 6 11 (2025) Designated activities Designated activities 2015: 4 4 4 (2025) Business manager Business manager 2015: 0 Business manager 2025: 2 0 2 (2025) Professor Professor 2015: 2 2 2 (2025) High-skilled professional High-skilled professional 2015: 0 High-skilled professional 2025: 2 0 2 (2025) Instructor Instructor 2015: 1 1 1 (2025)
Where Iceland is heavier than rest of world Where Iceland is lighter (or absent) Student Icelandic: 27.8% 27.8% Rest of world: 11.3% 11.3% Spouse of Japanese Icelandic: 17.8% 17.8% Rest of world: 3.7% 3.7% Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Icelandic: 14.4% 14.4% Rest of world: 11.5% 11.5% Family stay / Dependent Icelandic: 13.3% 13.3% Rest of world: 8.6% 8.6% Designated activities Icelandic: 4.4% 4.4% Rest of world: 3.0% 3.0% Business manager Icelandic: 2.2% 2.2% Rest of world: 1.1% 1.1% Professor Icelandic: 2.2% 2.2% Rest of world: 0.2% 0.2% High-skilled professional Icelandic: 2.2% 2.2% Rest of world: 0.8% 0.8% Instructor Icelandic: 1.1% 1.1% Rest of world: 0.4% 0.4% Legal / Accounting Icelandic: 1.1% 1.1% Rest of world: 0.0% 0.0% Religion Icelandic: 1.1% 1.1% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Permanent resident Icelandic: 12.2% 12.2% Rest of world: 23.0% 23.0%

Demographics

Age distribution

All Icelandic residents — five-year age brackets, December 2025
0 10 20 0–4: 3 3 0–4 5–9: 3 3 5–9 10–14: 1 1 10–14 15–19: 2 2 15–19 20–24: 14 14 20–24 25–29: 15 15 25–29 30–34: 16 16 30–34 35–39: 14 14 35–39 40–44: 5 5 40–44 45–49: 6 6 45–49 50–54: 3 3 50–54 55–59: 4 4 55–59 60–64: 2 2 60–64 65–69: 2 2 65–69 70–74: 0 0 70–74 75–79: 0 0 75–79 80+: 0 0 80+
MALE 男性 FEMALE 女性 0–4 2 1 5–9 2 1 10–14 0 1 15–19 1 1 20–24 9 5 25–29 5 10 30–34 9 7 35–39 10 4 40–44 3 2 45–49 5 1 50–54 3 0 55–59 4 0 60–64 2 0 65–69 2 0 70–74 0 0 75–79 0 0 80+ 0 0

Gender split

December 2025
Male: 57 (63.3%) Female: 33 (36.7%) 90 total
Male
57 (63.3%)
Female
33 (36.7%)

Iceland's 90 residents lean male (63%): students (28%), spouses of Japanese nationals (18%) and professionals (14%).

Student: 15 (45.5%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 7 (21.2%) Family stay / Dependent: 5 (15.2%) Designated activities: 2 (6.1%) Permanent resident: 1 (3.0%) Spouse of Japanese: 1 (3.0%) High-skilled professional: 1 (3.0%) Professor: 1 (3.0%) Total female 33
33 female Icelandic residents — by status of residence
Student15
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services7
Family stay / Dependent5
Designated activities2
Permanent resident1
Spouse of Japanese1
High-skilled professional1
Professor1
Spouse of Japanese: 15 (26.3%) Permanent resident: 10 (17.5%) Student: 10 (17.5%) Family stay / Dependent: 7 (12.3%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 6 (10.5%) Business manager: 2 (3.5%) Designated activities: 2 (3.5%) Instructor: 1 (1.8%) Professor: 1 (1.8%) Legal / Accounting: 1 (1.8%) Religion: 1 (1.8%) High-skilled professional: 1 (1.8%) Total male 57
57 male Icelandic residents — by status of residence
Spouse of Japanese15
Permanent resident10
Student10
Family stay / Dependent7
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services6
Business manager2
Designated activities2
Instructor1
Professor1
Legal / Accounting1
Religion1
High-skilled professional1
0 20 40 60 2010 2015 2020 2025 Female 33 Male 57

Where they live (2025)

By region — heat map

Hover or tap a region to see its breakdown.
Hokkaido Hokkaido 723 723 Tohoku Tohoku 518 518 Kanto Kanto 2,621 2,621 Chubu Chubu 1,926 1,926 Kansai Kansai 3,189 3,189 Chugoku Chugoku 487 487 Shikoku Shikoku 245 245 Kyushu Kyushu 1,158 1,158
Fewer
More
Selected region
Kanto
11,830
57.6% of Japan total
Top Visa Categories
Prefectures
Tokyo
7,596
Kanagawa
1,948
Chiba
1,018
Saitama
763
Ibaraki
231
Tochigi
138
Gunma
136

Highest and Lowest Prefectures

2025 Resident Counts
Top 10
Tokyo
Kanto
42
Kyoto
Kansai
9
Osaka
Kansai
7
Kanagawa
Kanto
4
Hyogo
Kansai
3
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
3
Kumamoto
Kyushu
3
Chiba
Kanto
2
Akita
Tohoku
2
Saitama
Kanto
2
Bottom 10
Kochi
Shikoku
1
Toyama
Chubu
1
Hiroshima
Chugoku
1
Aichi
Chubu
1
Ibaraki
Kanto
1
Fukushima
Tohoku
1
Shiga
Kansai
1
Miyagi
Tohoku
1
Okinawa
Okinawa
1
Fukuoka
Kyushu
2

Prefecture Growth, 2015 to 2025

Absolute change in Icelandic residents over the past decade
Largest increase
Tokyo
Kanto
+11
Kyoto
Kansai
+5
Kumamoto
Kyushu
+3
Kanagawa
Kanto
+2
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
+2
Largest decrease
Fukuoka
Kyushu
-5
Hiroshima
Chugoku
-2
Ibaraki
Kanto
+0
Fukushima
Tohoku
+0
Osaka
Kansai
+0
0 20 40 60 2010 2015 2020 2025 Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Kanagawa Hyogo Hokkaido Kumamoto Chiba

Fun Fact

90 Icelanders live in Japan — roughly 1 in every 4,300 Icelanders. Population-for-population, that beats most of Europe.
Interested to know more about migration numbers in Japan?
Explore Overview →Immigration statistics for the whole of Japan — 4.13 million foreign residentsAll Nationalities/Regions →This page is one of 67 — explore every major community in Japan
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