The tunnels are a prerequisite for living here: lessons from the Faroe Islands on how push-pull factors affect populations in small remote communities

Abstract

Small remote communities in the Nordic countries face unique challenges due to their geographical isolation, limited resources, and sparse population. The latter is affected by migration, which can have both positive and negative implications for communities’ development, and so understanding the factors influencing migration patterns is essential for ensuring balanced regional development. This paper focuses on the population trends over the last two centuries in the Faroe Islands; more specifically, in the two small remote communities Hvannasund and Viðareiði in the Northern Islands. The overall theoretical framework applied is the push-pull migration concept. By examining the push-pull factors that drive migration patterns in these communities, the paper explores the impact on socio-economic development, and by analysing the interplay between these factors, this study aims to provide insights into the dynamics of movements and their implications for the development of small remote communities. The main findings are that economic factors are the main push-pull factors to explain the population changes in the investigated communities, while the social/demographic, political, and environmental factors to a lesser degree can explain the fluctuations but impact the more linear trends over time.