The Greenland/Iceland population of Pink-footed Goose breeds primarily in central Iceland and in smaller numbers along the east coast of Greenland, mostly from Kangertittivaq/Scoresby Sund to Nordmarken, northern Germania Land. It spends the non-breeding season entirely within Britain. A smaller, separate population breeds in Svalbard and winters in the Low Countries.

Co-ordinated counts of the Greenland/Iceland population began in 1960. From then, it underwent a rapid increase, particularly during the 1980s, to around 250,000 by the mid 1990s. Subsequently, the rate of increase has slowed and the mean census total for the period 1995/96-1999/2000 was 222,436.

The winter distribution is highly localised and birds favour sites in eastern Scotland, from the Moray Firth to the Borders, but also the Solway Firth; in England, Lancashire has long been favoured and, since the late 1980s, numbers in Norfolk have increased markedly.