Labour indicators levels - Regions — Employment in Iceland

Iceland: Labour indicators levels - Regions — Employment was 229,500 Persons in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
229,500 Persons
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
45th
of 45 countries
All-time high
229,500 Persons
in 2024
All-time low
141,800 Persons
in 1995
Years of data
30
1995–2024

Labour indicators levels - Regions — Employment in Iceland, 1995–2024

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k1995200920241995: 141.8k Persons1996: 142.0k Persons1997: 142.0k Persons1998: 147.9k Persons1999: 150.6k Persons2000: 156.6k Persons2001: 158.1k Persons2002: 156.4k Persons2003: 157.5k Persons2004: 156.4k Persons2005: 159.9k Persons2006: 167.8k Persons2007: 175.5k Persons2008: 177.1k Persons2009: 166.2k Persons2010: 165.8k Persons2011: 166.0k Persons2012: 167.9k Persons2013: 173.2k Persons2014: 177.6k Persons2015: 183.6k Persons2016: 190.5k Persons2017: 193.9k Persons2018: 198.3k Persons2019: 201.0k Persons2020: 194.5k Persons2021: 197.0k Persons2022: 210.4k Persons2023: 220.3k Persons2024: 229.5k Persons

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.

Analysis

In 2024, labour indicators levels - regions — employment in Iceland stood at 229,500 Persons. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.

The figure is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 29.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labour indicators levels - regions — employment in Iceland peaked at 229,500 Persons in 2024 and was at its lowest, 141,800 Persons, in 1995.

That places Iceland 45th out of 45 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 144,860 Persons 141,800 Persons 150,600 Persons 5
2000s 163,150 Persons 156,400 Persons 177,100 Persons 10
2010s 181,780 Persons 165,800 Persons 201,000 Persons 10
2020s 210,340 Persons 194,500 Persons 229,500 Persons 5

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 42 Estonia 698,800 Persons compare
  2. 43 Malta 329,700 Persons compare
  3. 44 Luxembourg 328,300 Persons compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More work & labour data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is labour indicators levels - regions — employment in Iceland?
Labour indicators levels - regions — employment in Iceland was 229,500 Persons in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest labour indicators levels - regions — employment recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 229,500 Persons in 2024.
What is the lowest labour indicators levels - regions — employment recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 141,800 Persons in 1995.
How does Iceland rank for labour indicators levels - regions — employment?
Iceland ranks 45th out of 45 countries with data for 2024.
Is labour indicators levels - regions — employment rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Labour indicators levels - Regions — Employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labour indicators levels - Regions — Employment in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labour-indicators-levels-regions-employment/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Labour indicators levels - Regions — Employment
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
53 places, 1,321 data points, 1995–2025
Last refreshed

<p>This dataset presents indicators on the size of the labour force, employment, and unemployment in large regions (TL2) and, where available, in small regions (TL3).</p> <p><strong>Data definition and source</strong></p> <p>The labour force status is presented by sex, for 15-64 year-olds and 15+ year-olds age ranges, the latter having less country coverage. Data is based on a labour force survey using ILO guidelines and collected from Eurostat (reg_lmk) for EU countries and via delegates of the OECD Working Party on Territorial Indicators (WPTI), as well as from national statistical offices' websites.</p> <p><strong>Definition of regions</strong></p> <p>Regions are subnational units below national boundaries. OECD countries have two regional levels: large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2) and small regions (territorial level 3 or TL3). For more information, see the OECD Territorial grid <a href="https://webfs-cfe.oecd.org/files/.Stat/region/OECD_territorial-grid_TL2024.pdf">(pdf)</a> and the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table <a href="https://webfs-cfe.oecd.org/files/.Stat/region/OECD%20Territorial%20correspondence%20-%20TL2024c.xlsx">(xlsx)</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Cite this dataset</strong></p> <p>OECD Regions, Cities and Local Areas database&nbsp;<a href="http://oe.cd/geostats">http://oe.cd/geostats</a>.</p> <p><strong>Further information</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://regions-cities-atlas.oecd.org/">OECD Regions and Cities Statistical Atlas</a>&nbsp;</li> <li><a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-regions-and-cities-at-a-glance-2024_f42db3bf-en.html">OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance</a></li> </ul> <p>For questions and/or comments, please email <a href="mailto:RegionStat@oecd.org">RegionStat@oecd.org</a>.</p>