Iceland vs Sweden: Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private
Iceland
18.5%
in 2025
Sweden
24.3%
in 2025
Iceland rank
45th
Sweden rank
42nd
Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private over time
- Iceland
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 24.3% against 18.5% in Iceland, a difference of 5.8%.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.3 times Iceland's.
Across all 31 years both countries report, Sweden has been ahead every year.
Iceland ranks 45th and Sweden ranks 42nd of 45 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.5% | 31.8% | 13.3% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 17.6% | 29.7% | 12.1% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 18.4% | 28.1% | 9.6% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 19.6% | 25.4% | 5.8% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private, Iceland or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 24.3% against 18.5% in Iceland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private between Iceland and Sweden?
- 5.8%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Sweden?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2025.
- How do Iceland and Sweden rank globally for persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private?
- Iceland ranks 45th and Sweden ranks 42nd of 45 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Eurostat, published as Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private households. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.