Employment-to-population ratio (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Iceland
Iceland: Employment-to-population ratio (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 72.27 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment-to-population ratio (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Iceland, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment-to-population ratio (current ilo definition - icls19) in Iceland stood at 72.27.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment-to-population ratio (current ilo definition - icls19) in Iceland peaked at 81.31 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 69.08, in 2021.
Iceland ranks 3rd of 71 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Employment-to-population ratio (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 78.12 | — |
| 2015 | 79.69 | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 81.31 | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 80.61 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 79.63 | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 78.39 | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 74.65 | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 69.08 | -7.5% |
| 2022 | 71.78 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 72.4 | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 73.54 | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 72.27 | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 79.63 | 78.12 | 81.31 | 6 |
| 2020s | 72.29 | 69.08 | 74.65 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 1 Qatar 87.86 compare
- 2 United Arab Emirates 79.83 compare
- 4 New Zealand 66.79 compare
- 5 Viet Nam 66.38 compare
- 6 Netherlands 66.01 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-to-population ratio (current ilo definition - icls19) in Iceland?
- Employment-to-population ratio (current ilo definition - icls19) in Iceland was 72.27 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment-to-population ratio (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 81.31 in 2016.
- What is the lowest employment-to-population ratio (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.08 in 2021.
- How does Iceland rank for employment-to-population ratio (current ilo definition - icls19)?
- Iceland ranks 3rd out of 71 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment-to-population ratio (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment-to-population ratio (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. The employment-to-population ratio is the number of persons who are employed as a percent of the total of working-age population. Persons in employment are defined as all those of working age who, during a short reference period, were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit. They comprise employed persons who worked in a job for at least one hour and employed persons not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangements. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.