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Nuuk

#140 largest metro areaNorth America

In Greenland

Metro population
19,604
0.000% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+0.35%
About 0 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
28/km²
690 km² metro area
City proper
14,798
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Nuuk

Nuuk, Greenland's capital, has a city-proper population of 14,798 and a metropolitan area of 19,604. The city sits at 5 meters elevation on the island's west coast. Founded in 1721, it has grown at 0.4% annually, with a low population density of 28 people per km².

Nuuk International Airport (GOH) serves the city and region. The municipality is led by mayor Avaaraq S. Olsen. As the largest settlement in Greenland, the city functions as the administrative and population center of the territory.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
Greenland
Continent
North America
World rank
#140 of 140
Share of country
34.5%
Founded
1721
Leadership
Avaaraq S. Olsen
Elevation
5 m
Coordinates
64.183, -51.722

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Nuuk International AirportGOH

    2 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Nuuk20K
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Nuuk compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Nuuk20K

Population Trend in Greenland

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

010K20K30K40K50K1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is Greenland's national population, not Nuuk's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Greenland population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
195023,209
196032,105
197045,465
198050,111
199055,630
200056,209
201056,614
202056,080
203055,050
204052,672
205049,898
206047,364
207044,597
208041,853
209039,491
210037,230

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Nuuk Population FAQ

What is the population of Nuuk?

Nuuk's metropolitan area has about 19,604 people, making it the 140th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Nuuk's city and metro population?

About 14,798 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 19,604. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Nuuk growing or shrinking?

Nuuk is growing at +0.35% a year.

What share of Greenland's population lives in Nuuk?

Nuuk's metro area holds about 34.5% of Greenland's total population.

How densely populated is Nuuk?

Nuuk has roughly 28 people per km² across a metro area of about 690 km².

Which airports serve Nuuk?

The nearest major airports are Nuuk International Airport (GOH).

Which country is Nuuk in?

Nuuk is in Greenland, in North America.

Explore More Cities

All 140 cities →Greenland country profile →