France vs Iceland: Public sector employment as a share of total employment

France
28.9%
in 2020
Iceland
29.9%
in 2013
France rank
10th
Iceland rank
8th

Public sector employment as a share of total employment over time

  • France
  • Iceland
0102030200420122020

How they compare

Iceland currently reports 29.9% against 28.9% in France, a difference of 1.0%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 10 shared years of data; in 2004 it was France ahead.

France ranks 10th and Iceland ranks 8th of 79 countries.

Across the 2 decades both report, France averaged higher in 1 and Iceland in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade France Iceland Difference Ahead
2000s 32.3% 29.8% 2.5% France
2010s 31.1% 31.3% 0.2% Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher public sector employment as a share of total employment, France or Iceland?
Iceland, at 29.9% against 28.9% in France as of 2013.
What is the difference in public sector employment as a share of total employment between France and Iceland?
1.0%, with Iceland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Iceland?
10 years are reported by both, from 2004 to 2013.
How do France and Iceland rank globally for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
France ranks 10th and Iceland ranks 8th of 79 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Public sector employment as a share of total employment. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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France vs Iceland: Public sector employment as a share of total employment. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/compare/public-sector-employment-as-a-share-of-total-employment/france/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Public sector employment as a share of total employment
Unit
%
Source
World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
79 places, 1,004 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of all employed people who are paid employees of the public sector, including government, the armed forces, public services, and state-owned enterprises.