Income

Income is defined as cash or cash value of goods acquired during the year, which can be consumed by the individual or family without causing a decrease in net worth. In terms of demography, income composition in Greenland varies, depending on locality and municipality. This is demonstrated clearly through a comparison of income levels in Greenland´s five municipalities.

In general, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq has the highest income level, compared to the other four municipalities. For Qeqqata Kommunia, income level is approximately identical to national average, while Kommune Kujalleq, Kommune Qeqertalik and Avannaata Kommunia show income levels lower than this. For settlements, income levels are in general significantly lower than for towns. This difference varies between municipalities, however. Income difference between town and settlement is largest in Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, in which the average income for a person in the capital Nuuk is two times the income for a person in one of the municipality´s settlements.

The income distribution statistics is produced in compliance with the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) – guidelines. SILC is a coordinated EU cooperation on statistics, which comply with OECD guidelines, thereby providing a high degree of comparability across countries.