Employment by main industry (NACE Rev.2) - national accounts in Iceland
Iceland: Employment by main industry (NACE Rev.2) - national accounts was 82,221 Thousand hours worked in 2026. ▲ Rising
Latest (2026)
82,221 Thousand hours worked
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
40th
of 40 countries
All-time high
84,871 Thousand hours worked
in 2024
All-time low
60,379 Thousand hours worked
in 1991
Years of data
36
1991–2026
Employment by main industry (NACE Rev.2) - national accounts in Iceland, 1991–2026
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand hours worked.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 82,221 Thousand hours worked for employment by main industry (nace rev.2) - national accounts in 2026.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by main industry (nace rev.2) - national accounts in Iceland peaked at 84,871 Thousand hours worked in 2024 and was at its lowest, 60,379 Thousand hours worked, in 1991.
Iceland ranks 40th of 40 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Employment by main industry (NACE Rev.2) - national accounts in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Thousand hours worked | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 60,379 Thousand hours worked | — |
| 1992 | 60,699 Thousand hours worked | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 60,659 Thousand hours worked | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 61,101 Thousand hours worked | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 61,971 Thousand hours worked | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 62,672 Thousand hours worked | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 63,396 Thousand hours worked | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 64,733 Thousand hours worked | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 66,408 Thousand hours worked | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 67,392 Thousand hours worked | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 67,050 Thousand hours worked | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 65,932 Thousand hours worked | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 65,498 Thousand hours worked | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 66,710 Thousand hours worked | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 69,078 Thousand hours worked | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 71,471 Thousand hours worked | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 72,633 Thousand hours worked | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 73,415 Thousand hours worked | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 65,477 Thousand hours worked | -10.8% |
| 2010 | 64,801 Thousand hours worked | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 66,261 Thousand hours worked | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 66,780 Thousand hours worked | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 68,155 Thousand hours worked | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 69,795 Thousand hours worked | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 73,449 Thousand hours worked | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 76,032 Thousand hours worked | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 78,549 Thousand hours worked | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 79,427 Thousand hours worked | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 77,443 Thousand hours worked | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 72,939 Thousand hours worked | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 77,730 Thousand hours worked | +6.6% |
| 2022 | 82,259 Thousand hours worked | +5.8% |
| 2023 | 83,966 Thousand hours worked | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 84,871 Thousand hours worked | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 83,820 Thousand hours worked | -1.2% |
| 2026 | 82,221 Thousand hours worked | -1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 62,446 Thousand hours worked | 60,379 Thousand hours worked | 66,408 Thousand hours worked | 9 |
| 2000s | 68,466 Thousand hours worked | 65,477 Thousand hours worked | 73,415 Thousand hours worked | 10 |
| 2010s | 72,069 Thousand hours worked | 64,801 Thousand hours worked | 79,427 Thousand hours worked | 10 |
| 2020s | 81,115 Thousand hours worked | 72,939 Thousand hours worked | 84,871 Thousand hours worked | 7 |
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 employment by main industry (nace rev.2) - national accounts in Iceland?
- Employment by main industry (nace rev.2) - national accounts in Iceland was 82,221 Thousand hours worked in 2026, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest employment by main industry (nace rev.2) - national accounts recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 84,871 Thousand hours worked in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment by main industry (nace rev.2) - national accounts recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 60,379 Thousand hours worked in 1991.
- How does Iceland rank for employment by main industry (nace rev.2) - national accounts?
- Iceland ranks 40th out of 40 countries with data for 2026.
- Is employment by main industry (nace rev.2) - national accounts rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Employment by main industry (NACE Rev.2) - national accounts - quarterly data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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