Reykjavík child welfare reports increase 266% since 2001

Reports to the Reykjavík Child Welfare Services have increased by 266% between 2001 and 2025, rising from 1,781 to 6,514 annual reports. During this same period, the population of children aged 0–17 in the city grew by only approximately 0.5%, increasing from 28,159 to 28,302.

Data processed by the Taxpayers Association indicates that the number of children involved in these reports also rose significantly, from 953 in 2001 to 2,624 in 2025, a 175% increase. Between 2019 and 2025, the rate of reports grew from 175 to 231 per 1,000 children.

Reykjavík Child Welfare Services noted a demographic shift, stating that the number of children with foreign citizenship in the city rose from 2,280 in 2020 to 3,945 in 2024, a 73% increase. The agency reports that a higher proportion of reports involve children with foreign citizenship compared to those with Icelandic citizenship, contributing to the workload of teams handling cases involving children of foreign origin.