Iceland vs United States: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) over time
- Iceland
- United States
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 4.43 against 4.28 in United States, a difference of 0.15.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1995 it was United States ahead.
Iceland ranks 55th and United States ranks 58th of 78 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.55 | 4.97 | 1.41 | United States |
| 2000s | 3.26 | 5.54 | 2.28 | United States |
| 2010s | 4.68 | 6.23 | 1.55 | United States |
| 2020s | 4.47 | 4.83 | 0.365 | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13), Iceland or United States?
- Iceland, at 4.43 against 4.28 in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) between Iceland and United States?
- 0.15, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and United States?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2025.
- How do Iceland and United States rank globally for unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- Iceland ranks 55th and United States ranks 58th of 78 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization, published as Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the International Labour Migration Statistics (ILMS) database description.