Municipal elections set to see slight increase in candidates in Faroe Islands

In the lead-up to the municipal elections in 2000, 957 candidates were registered across 48 different municipalities in the country. Since then, the number of municipalities has significantly decreased, along with the number of candidates.

By 2004, the number of municipalities had dropped from 48 to 34, and candidates fell from 957 to 783. During this time, several municipalities merged: Elduvík, Oyndarfjordur, and Skála joined Runavík Municipality; Gja, Haldórsvík, Hósvík, Hvalvík, and Saksun became part of Sunda Municipality; Bíggjar and Mykines merged into Sørvágs Municipality; and Hestur and Nólsoy became part of Tórshavn Municipality.

From 2004 to 2008, four more municipalities were eliminated. Svínoy Municipality merged with Klaksvik; Funningur joined Runavík; Leirvík and Gøta became Eystur Municipality; and Sandavágur and Miðvágur merged into Vágar Municipality. This trend was reflected in the number of candidates, which decreased from 783 in 2004 to 636 in 2008.

In the 2012 elections, there were still 30 municipalities, but the number of candidates fell further to 602. By 2016, Húsa Municipality had also merged with Klaksvik, leaving 29 municipalities and 594 candidates.

In the 2020 elections, 547 candidates stood for election across the 29 municipalities, marking the lowest figure of the decade. For the upcoming elections in 2024, the number of candidates has slightly increased to 556, marking the first rise in candidate numbers in this century.

Candidate and Municipality Trends: – 2024: 556 candidates in 29 municipalities – 2020: 547 candidates in 29 municipalities – 2016: 594 candidates in 29 municipalities – 2012: 602 candidates in 30 municipalities – 2008: 636 candidates in 30 municipalities – 2004: 783 candidates in 34 municipalities – 2000: 957 candidates in 48 municipalities