Labor force participation rate in Iceland
Iceland: Labor force participation rate was 74.93 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
74.93
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
17th
of 186 countries
All-time high
77.86
in 2000
All-time low
72.68
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Iceland, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in Iceland is 74.93, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Iceland peaked at 77.86 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 72.68, in 1990.
Iceland ranks 17th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Labor force participation rate in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 72.68 | — |
| 1991 | 72.74 | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 73.25 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 72.92 | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 73.18 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 75.67 | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 74.38 | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 73.53 | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 75.01 | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 76.27 | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 77.86 | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 77.78 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 76.72 | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 77.23 | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 76.31 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 75.73 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 76.89 | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 77.16 | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 76.42 | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 74.83 | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 74.69 | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 74.19 | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 74.28 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 74.9 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 75.97 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 76.68 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 77.42 | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 76.89 | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 75.98 | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 75.7 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 73.56 | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 73.41 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 74.47 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 74.75 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 75.15 | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 74.93 | -0.3% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 74.93 is above the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 1.2× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 74.93 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 60.23, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 73.96 | 72.68 | 76.27 | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.69 | 74.83 | 77.86 | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.67 | 74.19 | 77.42 | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.38 | 73.41 | 75.15 | 6 |
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 labor force participation rate in Iceland?
- Labor force participation rate in Iceland was 74.93 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 77.86 in 2000.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.68 in 1990.
- How does Iceland rank for labor force participation rate?
- Iceland ranks 17th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).