placestats

Largest religious group: Christians. These are labels that describe the country, not numbers, so they are never compared with other measures. The numbers behind them, such as population shares, are.

Iceland

Against high income countries, Iceland ranks 1st of 58 on gender and 50th of 83 on environment. Each ranking counts only the countries that report that score, so the totals differ and the two ranks can’t be compared directly. Both compare Iceland with countries of similar wealth. That is the only kind of ranking that tells you something a ranking by income does not already show.

How it has changed

Every measure Iceland reports, over all the years it has been published. Pick one. Hover or use the arrow keys to read a year. Gaps in a line are years with no data. They are left open, not filled in.

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Scores by area

Each score averages the measures in one area, such as health. Each measure is first put on a common scale and turned so that higher is always better. Zero is the average country in an average year. One point is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation), so +1 means about one typical gap above average. These are summaries, not measurements. See how the country scores are built and how the topic scores compare with each other.

ScoreValueRank, all countriesRank, similar incomeMostly income?
Governance score 2025+1.3218 of 17918 of 58moderate +0.53
Health score 2024+0.2065 of 19334 of 63moderate +0.32
Education score 2023+1.266 of 1996 of 72proxy +0.81
Wellbeing score 2022+1.784 of 1104 of 49high +0.80
Equality score 2019+0.9010 of 1657 of 47high +0.64
Infrastructure score 2024+1.5327 of 21026 of 80proxy +0.90
Gender score 2024+2.191 of 1861 of 58moderate +0.37
Environment score 2024-0.32138 of 21350 of 83moderate -0.33
Labour score 2025+0.9216 of 19515 of 67high +0.79

The last column shows how closely each score just tracks national income. The number is its link with GDP per person (the value of everything a country produces, divided by its people), from −1 to +1. A score marked proxy is mostly a measure of how rich the country is. Its rank among all countries says little that GDP per person does not. That is why the rank among similar-income countries sits beside it.

The measures behind them

Every measure reported for Iceland, grouped by area. Some measures have no agreed better direction, such as population growth, inflation and military spending. They are listed here but left out of every score, since there is no fair way to say which way is better. Some names use technical terms: PPP means adjusted for what money buys in each country, HDI is a United Nations score combining life expectancy, schooling and income, and a Gini indexmeasures how unequally income is shared. Each measure’s own page explains it.

crime

Public order spending1.55%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Conflict deaths0per 100,000 people2025higher is worse
Armed conflict present01 if any conflict, else 02025higher is worse
Homicide rate1.29per 100,000 population2023higher is worse

culture

Religious attendance8.48%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religion very important13.2%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Confidence in religious institutions47.3%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Divorce rate1.9divorces per 1,000 people2020no agreed direction
Births outside marriage69.4%% of live births2019no agreed direction
Women's age at first marriage32.4years2011no agreed direction
Marriage rate5marriages per 1,000 people2020no agreed direction
Children with one parent18.7%% of children aged 0-172019no agreed direction
Religiously unaffiliated19.8%% of population2020no agreed direction
Christian share74.9%% of population2020no agreed direction
Muslim share1.21%% of population2020no agreed direction
Women in a union48.5%% of women aged 15-492023no agreed direction
Marriage rate (UN)5.05marriages per 1,000 people2020no agreed direction
Divorce rate (UN)1.88divorces per 1,000 people2020no agreed direction

demography

Median age35.8years2023no agreed direction
Age at childbearing30.8years2023no agreed direction
Population392,404people2025no agreed direction
Population growth1.51%% per year2025no agreed direction
Urbanization94.2%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 65+16%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 0-1417.5%% of population2025no agreed direction
Fertility rate1.56births per woman2024no agreed direction
Birth rate11.2per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Net migration2,709people2025no agreed direction
Migrant share of population25.1%% of population2024no agreed direction

economy

Public social spending19.2%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Family benefits spending3.82%% of GDP2021no agreed direction
Old-age spending3.29%% of GDP2021no agreed direction
Aid given0.337%% of GNI2025no agreed direction
Government spending per capita$39,385current international dollars2024no agreed direction
Corporate tax rate20%% of profit2018no agreed direction
HDI0.972index, 0 to 12023higher is better
Inequality-adjusted HDI0.923index, 0 to 12023higher is better
GDP per capita (PPP)$68,065international $2025higher is better
GNI per capita (PPP)$67,400international $2024higher is better
GDP per capita (market)$58,910US$2025higher is better
GDP growth1.28%% per year2025no agreed direction
Inflation4.09%% per year2025no agreed direction
Trade openness82.5%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
FDI inflows-0.523%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Tax revenue23.2%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Government consumption26.1%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Government expense32%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Employment in agriculture3.61%% of employment2025no agreed direction

education

PISA maths459PISA points2022higher is better
PISA reading436PISA points2022higher is better
PISA science447PISA points2022higher is better
Primary completion97.4%% of children2025higher is better
Expected schooling18.9years2023higher is better
Mean years of schooling13.9years2023higher is better
Education spending7.31%% of GDP2022no agreed direction
Primary enrollment98.2%% gross2023higher is better
Secondary enrollment109%% gross2023higher is better
Tertiary enrollment76.5%% gross2023higher is better
Compulsory schooling10years2025no agreed direction
Out of school, primary1.82%% of primary-age children2023higher is worse
Pupil-teacher ratio10.1pupils per teacher2015higher is worse
Researchers5,953per million people2023higher is better

environment

Recycling rate21.3%% of municipal waste2014higher is better
CO2 per capita8.52t CO2e per capita2024higher is worse
Forest area0.529%% of land area2023higher is better
Agricultural land16.2%% of land area2023no agreed direction
Protected land20.9%% of land area2025higher is better

gender

Gender wage gap9.9%% of men's median earnings2015higher is worse
Gender Inequality Index0.024index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Gender Development Index0.983ratio of women's HDI to men's2023no agreed direction
Women's political empowerment0.883index (0-1)2025higher is better
Women ministers60%% of ministers2024higher is better
Women in parliament46%% of seats2025higher is better
Women in management37.3%% of managers2023higher is better

governance

Corruption Perceptions Index77index (0-100, higher = cleaner)2024higher is better
Political rights (FH)1rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Civil liberties (FH)1rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Trust in government42.5%% of respondents2024higher is better
Pre-trial detainee share42.6%% of prisoners2024higher is worse
Refugees originating0per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Electoral democracy0.807index (0-1)2025higher is better
Liberal democracy0.72index (0-1)2025higher is better
Participatory democracy0.565index (0-1)2025higher is better
Free and fair elections0.929index (0-1)2025higher is better
Regime type3regime category (0-3)2025higher is better
Political corruption0.014index (0-1)2025higher is worse
Freedom of expression0.846index (0-1)2025higher is better
Freedom of association0.917index (0-1)2025higher is better
Political civil liberties0.93index (0-1)2025higher is better
Civil society participation0.874index (0-1)2025higher is better
Birth registration100%% of children under 52022higher is better
Control of corruption1.83index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Rule of law1.63index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Government effectiveness1.65index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Regulatory quality1.33index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Voice and accountability1.42index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Political stability1.21index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better

health

Life expectancy82.8years2024higher is better
Infant mortality2.1per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Under-5 mortality2.8per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Health spending8.98%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Suicide rate11.9per 100,0002021higher is worse
Hospital beds2.83per 1,000 people2020no agreed direction
Basic water access100%% of population2024higher is better
Basic sanitation98.8%% of population2024higher is better
Adolescent fertility3.07births per 1,000 women aged 15-192024higher is worse
Maternal mortality3per 100,000 live births2023higher is worse
Skilled birth attendance97.4%% of births2020higher is better
Alcohol consumption7.94litres per adult per year2020no agreed direction
Tobacco use9.2%% of adults2024higher is worse
Road traffic deaths2per 100,000 population2019higher is worse
Physicians4.37per 1,000 people2023higher is better
DTP3 immunisation94%% of children aged 12-23 months2024higher is better
HIV prevalence0.1%% of adults aged 15-492024higher is worse
Tuberculosis incidence3per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Premature NCD mortality8.5%% probability, ages 30-702021higher is worse
Anaemia in women14.7%% of women aged 15-492023higher is worse
Out-of-pocket health spending14.9%% of health spending2024higher is worse
Undernourishment2.5%% of population2023higher is worse
Food insecurity7.8%% of population2023higher is worse
Adult obesity22.2%% of adults2024higher is worse
Health coverage index90index, 0 to 1002023higher is better

inequality

Market-income Gini0.384index, 0 to 12019higher is worse
Redistribution35.7%% reduction in the Gini2019no agreed direction
Gini index26.8index (0-100)2019higher is worse
Extreme poverty rate0.1%% of population2019higher is worse

infrastructure

Internet users98.2%% of population2024higher is better
Mobile subscriptions121per 100 people2024higher is better
Electricity access100%% of population2024higher is better
Slum share of urban population0%% of urban population2022higher is worse
Fixed broadband37.5per 100 people2024higher is better

labor

Active labour market spending0.397%% of GDP2021no agreed direction
Unemployment benefit spending2.36%% of GDP2021no agreed direction
Retirement age, men68.1years2018no agreed direction
Retirement age, women65.9years2018no agreed direction
Hours worked1,883hours per year2016no agreed direction
Informal employment1.97%% of employment2020higher is worse
Unemployment3.63%% of labor force2025higher is worse
Female labor participation70%% of women 15+2025no agreed direction
Male labor participation79.6%% of men 15+2025no agreed direction
Youth not in work or study3.98%% of 15 to 24 year olds2024higher is worse
Vulnerable employment8.4%% of employment2025higher is worse

wellbeing

Interpersonal trust62.3%% of respondents2022higher is better
Self-reported happiness95.1%% of respondents2022higher is better
Life satisfaction7.54score (0-10)2025higher is better

Values are the most recent in 2010–2025, and different measures can come from different years. The year is shown beside each. Nothing here ranks countries by merit. An area score averages whatever measures its publishers happen to collect, and the choice of what to collect is itself a judgement made by someone else. All countries · How the country data works

Countries to compare with Iceland

Also in Europe & Central Asia: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan.

Also high income, in other regions: American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, The, Bahrain, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Costa Rica, Curacao, French Polynesia, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong SAR, China, Israel, Japan, Korea, Rep., Kuwait, Macao SAR, China, Malta, Naoero, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Palau, Panama, Puerto Rico (US), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Martin (French part), and more on the full list of countries.