Public employment in Iceland

Iceland: Public employment was 202.41 in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
202.41
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
44th
of 47 countries
All-time high
202.56
in 2018
All-time low
162.48
in 2010
Years of data
12
2008–2019

Public employment in Iceland, 2008–2019

0501001502002008201320192008: 179.32009: 164.62010: 162.52011: 164.32012: 167.42013: 171.32014: 175.52015: 180.52016: 188.72017: 196.72018: 202.62019: 202.4

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for public employment in Iceland is 202.41, measured in 2019.

That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and up 23.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public employment in Iceland peaked at 202.56 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 162.48, in 2010.

That places Iceland 44th out of 47 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Public employment in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Public employment in Iceland, 2008 to 2019.
Year Value Change
2008 179.33
2009 164.61 -8.2%
2010 162.48 -1.3%
2011 164.28 +1.1%
2012 167.36 +1.9%
2013 171.34 +2.4%
2014 175.46 +2.4%
2015 180.51 +2.9%
2016 188.72 +4.5%
2017 196.68 +4.2%
2018 202.56 +3.0%
2019 202.41 -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 171.97 164.61 179.33 2
2010s 181.18 162.48 202.56 10

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 41 Luxembourg 517.81 compare
  2. 42 Cyprus 475.67
  3. 43 Malta 319.56 compare
  4. 45 New Caledonia 89.33 compare
  5. 46 Jersey 56.54 compare
  6. 47 San Marino 15.63

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More work & labour data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is public employment in Iceland?
Public employment in Iceland was 202.41 in 2019, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest public employment recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 202.56 in 2018.
What is the lowest public employment recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 162.48 in 2010.
How does Iceland rank for public employment?
Iceland ranks 44th out of 47 countries with data for 2019.
Is public employment rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Public employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public employment in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/public-employment/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Public employment
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
47 places, 681 data points, 1975–2024
Last refreshed

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 is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The total public sector employment covers all employment of general government sector as defined in System of National Accounts 1993 plus employment of publicly owned enterprises and companies, resident and operating at central, state (or regional) and local levels of government. It covers all persons employed directly by those institutions, without regard for the particular type of employment contract. See the working paper: Statistics on Public Sector Employment: Methodology, Structures and Trends. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.