Annual working hours per worker in Iceland
Iceland: Annual working hours per worker was 1,452 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1,452 hours per worker
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
123rd
of 130 countries
All-time high
2,139 hours per worker
in 1964
All-time low
1,452 hours per worker
in 2023
Years of data
60
1964–2023
Annual working hours per worker in Iceland, 1964–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025); Huberman and Minns (2005) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hours per worker.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual working hours per worker in Iceland is 1,452 hours per worker, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours per worker in Iceland peaked at 2,139 hours per worker in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1,452 hours per worker, in 2023.
Iceland ranks 123rd of 130 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Annual working hours per worker in Iceland, year by year
| Year | hours per worker | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 2,139 hours per worker | — |
| 1965 | 2,116 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 2,104 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 2,068 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 2,021 hours per worker | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 1,992 hours per worker | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 1,975 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 1,937 hours per worker | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 1,904 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 1,886 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 1,861 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 1,837 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 1,809 hours per worker | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 1,767 hours per worker | -2.3% |
| 1978 | 1,729 hours per worker | -2.2% |
| 1979 | 1,716 hours per worker | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 1,706 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 1,699 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 1,702 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 1,702 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1,700 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 1,699 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 1,692 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 1,690 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 1,698 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 1,693 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 1,683 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 1,687 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 1,687 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1,702 hours per worker | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 1,673 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 1,660 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 1,677 hours per worker | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 1,703 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 1,683 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 1,663 hours per worker | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 1,714 hours per worker | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 1,725 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 1,691 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 1,657 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 1,664 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 1,655 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 1,645 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 1,624 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 1,625 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 1,536 hours per worker | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 1,528 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 1,538 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 1,523 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 1,524 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 1,513 hours per worker | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 1,511 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 1,520 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 1,507 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 1,496 hours per worker | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 1,480 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 1,464 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 1,460 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 1,460 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 1,452 hours per worker | -0.5% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 1,452 hours per worker is below the median for high income countries, which is 1,668 hours per worker, 87% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 1,452 hours per worker is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,735 hours per worker, 84% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,073 hours per worker | 1,992 hours per worker | 2,139 hours per worker | 6 |
| 1970s | 1,842 hours per worker | 1,716 hours per worker | 1,975 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,698 hours per worker | 1,690 hours per worker | 1,706 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,682 hours per worker | 1,660 hours per worker | 1,703 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,654 hours per worker | 1,536 hours per worker | 1,725 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,514 hours per worker | 1,480 hours per worker | 1,538 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,459 hours per worker | 1,452 hours per worker | 1,464 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More work & labour data for Iceland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4964 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4501 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5492 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.2312 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 373.77 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 16.3 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 169.5 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 193.08 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 362.58 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours per worker in Iceland?
- Annual working hours per worker in Iceland was 1,452 hours per worker in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025); Huberman and Minns (2005) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual working hours per worker recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 2,139 hours per worker in 1964.
- What is the lowest annual working hours per worker recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,452 hours per worker in 2023.
- How does Iceland rank for annual working hours per worker?
- Iceland ranks 123rd out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours per worker rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025); Huberman and Minns (2005) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual working hours per worker. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average working hours per worker in a given year.