Labour force participation rate in Iceland
Iceland: Labour force participation rate was 75.62 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labour force participation rate in Iceland, 2003–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup.
Analysis
In 2025, labour force participation rate in Iceland stood at 75.62 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate in Iceland peaked at 83.8 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2016 and was at its lowest, 73.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup, in 2021.
That places Iceland 1st out of 33 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 81.47 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 80.2 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 82.67 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 7 |
| 2010s | 81.56 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 79.78 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 83.8 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.66 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 73.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 79 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 2 New Zealand 70.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 3 Sweden 67.53 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 4 Switzerland 67.33 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup 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 labour force participation rate in Iceland?
- Labour force participation rate in Iceland was 75.62 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 83.8 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2016.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2021.
- How does Iceland rank for labour force participation rate?
- Iceland ranks 1st out of 33 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labour force participation rate rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Labour force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The infra-annual dataflow on the labour force participation rate is a subset of the infra-annual labour statistics database, which contains predominantly monthly and quarterly statistics on the labour force participation rate by age groups (15+, 15-24, 25-54, 55-64, 15-64 and 15-74 where available) and sex and associated statistical methodological information and associated statistical methodological information, for the OECD member countries and for selected other economies. The labour force participation rate is calculated as the number of the labour force population as a percentage of the working age population. The infra-annual labour statistics compiled for all OECD member countries, are drawn from Labour Force Surveys based on definition provided by the 19th Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2013. The uniform application of these definitions across all OECD member countries results in estimates that are internationally comparable.