| Districts. | Number of Families. | Population. | Increase and Decrease per cent. | |
| 1860. | 1870. | |||
| Southern Amt. | ||||
| Reykjavik, | 356 | 1444 | 2024 | |
| Gullbríngu and Kjósar Sýsla, | 824 | 5001 | 5302 | + 13·7 |
| Borgarfjarðar Sýsla, | 352 | 2251 | 2590 | + 15·1 |
| Árnes Sýsla, | 772 | 5409 | 5891 | + 8·9 |
| Rángárvalla Sýsla, | 689 | 5034 | 5201 | + 3·3 |
| Austr and Vestr Skaptafells Sýsla, | 490 | 3499 | 3484 | - 0·4 |
| Vestmannaeyja Sýsla, | 885 | 499 | 571 | + 14·4 |
| Total (Southern Amt), | 3568 | 23,137 | 25,063 | + 8·3 |
| Western Amt. | ||||
| Mýra and Hnappadals Sýsla, | 373 | 2663 | 2765 | + 3·9 |
| Snæfellsness Sýsla, | 471 | 2869 | 2799 | - 2·4 |
| Dala Sýsla, | 285 | 2223 | 2190 | - 1·5 |
| Barðastrandar Sýsla, | 311 | 2727 | 2699 | - 1·0 |
| Ísafjarðar Sýsla, | 518 | 4860 | 4895 | + 0·7 |
| Stranda Sýsla, | 192 | 1618 | 1653 | + 2·2 |
| Total (Western Amt), | 2150 | 16,960 | 17,001 | + 0·2 |
| Northern and Eastern Amts. | ||||
| Húnavatns Sýsla, | 623 | 4722 | 4906 | + 3·9 |
| Skagafjarðar Sýsla, | 614 | 4379 | 4574 | + 4·5 |
| Eyjafjarðar Sýsla, | 707 | 4647 | 5108 | + 9·9 |
| Thingeyjar Sýsla, | 715 | 5497 | 5746 | + 4·5 |
| Norðr-Múla Sýsla, | 487 | 4183 | 3885 | + 0·5 |
| Suðr-Múla Sýsla, | 442 | 3462 | 3480 | - 7·1 |
| Total (Northern and Eastern Amts), | 3588 | 26,890 | 27,699 | + 3·0 |
| Total for all Iceland, | 9306 | 66,987 | 69,763 | + 4·1 |
The following is the official list of households for 1872:
| In the Suðr-umdæmið (South Quarter) are 3568 households, with 11,835 men and 13,228 women. | ||||||||||
| ” | Vestr ” | (West ” ) | ” | 2150 | ” | 7,981 | ” | ” | 9,019 | “ |
| ” | Norðr og Austr | ” | 3588 | ” | 13,286 | ” | ” | 14,413 | “ | |
| Total, | 9306 | 33,102 men and 36,660 women. | ||||||||
According to Mr Vice-Consul Crowe (Report), during the average of ten years (1855-65) there was annually—
| 1 marriage for every | 143 | persons. |
| 1 birth for every | 25 | “ |
| 1 death for every | 39 | “ |
| 1 deaf and dumb for every | 994 | “ |
| 1 blind | 320 | “ |
In 1855 there were 202 blind and 65 born surd-mutes. In 1870 the former numbered 225 (160 men and 65 women), and the latter 50 (20 + 30).
In table III. (1855), we see that of 64,603 souls, 52,475, about three-fourths of the heads of families and those who provide support, lived by farming, that is, by cattle-breeding, whilst more than four-fifths of the entire population thus derived their maintenance. At the same time, 5055 were fishermen, and only 703 were traders, showing a primitive state of society. Mr Consul Crowe (Report, 1870-71) remarks: “Somewhat more than the 75 per cent. of the total population were engaged in sheep rearing and agricultural pursuits; and, notwithstanding the steady and lucrative nature of the fisheries, only about 10 per cent. were engaged in them.” The mechanics may be further distributed as follows:
| Bakers, | (in 1855) | 1 | proportion per thousand | 0·01 | in 1870 numbered | 2 |
| Coopers, | ” | 35 | ” | 0·55 | ” | 17 |
| Gold & Silver Smiths, | ” | 80 | ” | 1·24 | ” | 21 |
| Blacksmiths, | ” | 80 | ” | 1·24 | ” | 31 |
| Carpenters, | ” | 61 | ” | 0·94 | ” | 12 |
| Masons, | ” | 6 | ” | 0·09 | ” | 2 |
| Millers, | ” | 4 | ” | 0·07 | ” | 1 |
| Turners, | ” | 8 | ” | 0·13 | ” | 1 |
| Boatbuilders, | ” | 38 | ” | 0·59 | ” | 12 |
| Tailors, | ” | 27 | ” | 0·41 | ” | 10 |
| Joiners, | ” | 174 | ” | 2·69 | ” | 56 |
| Saddlers, | ” | 46 | ” | 0·71 | ” | 15 |
| Weavers, | ” | 20 | ” | 0·30 | ” | 4 |
| Watchmakers, | ” | 0 | ” | 0·00 | ” | 1 |
| Other industries, | ” | 103 | ” | 1·59 | ” | 24 |
The following is a table of ages in 1870: