Employment in services (% of total employment) in Iceland
Iceland: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 78.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Iceland, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Iceland recorded 78.1% for employment in services (% of total employment) in 2025.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Iceland peaked at 79.2% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 63.9%, in 1991.
That places Iceland 29th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 63.9% | — |
| 1992 | 64.9% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 65.7% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 65.1% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 65.5% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 66.5% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 66.2% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 64.7% | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 67.9% | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 69.2% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 69.4% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 70.1% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 71.4% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 70.3% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 71.8% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 72.1% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 73.2% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 73.4% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 75.7% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 76.0% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 76.0% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 76.2% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 76.9% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 77.0% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 77.9% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 78.6% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 78.8% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 79.2% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 78.5% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 78.0% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 77.0% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 78.0% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 78.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 77.9% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 78.1% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 65.6% | 63.9% | 67.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 71.6% | 69.2% | 75.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.5% | 76.0% | 79.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.8% | 77.0% | 78.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 26 Brunei Darussalam 78.4% compare
- 27 France 78.3% compare
- 28 Switzerland 78.2% compare
- 30 Ireland 77.9% compare
- 31 Montenegro 77.6% compare
- 32 New Caledonia 77.6% compare
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 in services (% of total employment) in Iceland?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Iceland was 78.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 79.2% in 2018.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.9% in 1991.
- How does Iceland rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Iceland ranks 29th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).