 The first census was carried out in 1703 and revealed that the population was then 50,358.After the destructive volcanic eruptions of the Laki volcano during 1783–1784, the population reached a low of about 40,000.Improving living conditions have triggered a rapid increase in population since the mid-19th century—from about 60,000 in 1850 to 320,000 in 2008.