Persons outside … quarterly population private households in Iceland
Iceland: Persons outside … quarterly population private households was 18.9% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Latest (2026)
18.9%
Change on year
down 4.1%
World rank
47th
of 47 countries
All-time high
23.8%
in 2020
All-time low
16.2%
in 2000
Years of data
29
1998–2026
Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Iceland, 1998–2026
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.
Analysis
In 2026, persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Iceland stood at 18.9%.
The figure is down 4.1% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Iceland peaked at 23.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 16.2%, in 2000.
That places Iceland 47th out of 47 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Persons outside … quarterly population private households in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Percentage | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 18.7% | — |
| 1999 | 17.3% | -7.5% |
| 2000 | 16.2% | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 16.5% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 17.2% | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 20.6% | +19.8% |
| 2004 | 20.8% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 19.1% | -8.2% |
| 2006 | 18.5% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 18.5% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 19.0% | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 20.1% | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 20.4% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 21.9% | +7.4% |
| 2012 | 21.4% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 20.1% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 18.3% | -9.0% |
| 2015 | 18.1% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 16.9% | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 18.4% | +8.9% |
| 2018 | 19.2% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 20.1% | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 23.8% | +18.4% |
| 2021 | 21.3% | -10.5% |
| 2022 | 20.5% | -3.8% |
| 2023 | 20.1% | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 19.7% | -2.0% |
| 2025 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2026 | 18.9% | -4.1% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 18.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 31.5%, 60% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 18.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 30.7%, 62% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.0% | 17.3% | 18.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 18.6% | 16.2% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.5% | 16.9% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 18.9% | 23.8% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 44 Netherlands 23.9% compare
- 45 Netherlands 23.8% compare
- 46 Sweden 23.2% 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 persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Iceland?
- Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private in Iceland was 18.9% in 2026, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 23.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.2% in 2000.
- How does Iceland rank for persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private?
- Iceland ranks 47th out of 47 countries with data for 2026.
- Is persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Persons outside the labour force - % of total population in private households - quarterly data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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