Self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland
Iceland: Self-employed persons by occupation was 27.9 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
27.9
Change on year
down 6.4%
World rank
46th
of 47 countries
All-time high
29.8
in 2024
All-time low
19.6
in 2009
Years of data
31
1995–2025
Self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland, 1995–2025
Source: Eurostat.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 27.9 for self-employed persons by occupation in 2025.
That represents a change of down 6.4% on the previous year and up 22.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland peaked at 29.8 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 19.6, in 2009.
Iceland ranks 46th of 47 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 25 | — |
| 1996 | 25.2 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 23.9 | -5.2% |
| 1998 | 26.6 | +11.3% |
| 1999 | 27 | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 27.1 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 26.7 | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 26.4 | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 20.6 | -22.0% |
| 2004 | 20.6 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 22.4 | +8.7% |
| 2006 | 24.3 | +8.5% |
| 2007 | 23.8 | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 22.1 | -7.1% |
| 2009 | 19.6 | -11.3% |
| 2010 | 20.6 | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 20.5 | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 20.3 | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 21.5 | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 22.3 | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 22.7 | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 22.7 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 22.5 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 23.5 | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 23.3 | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 22.6 | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 24.8 | +9.7% |
| 2022 | 25.7 | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 28.7 | +11.7% |
| 2024 | 29.8 | +3.8% |
| 2025 | 27.9 | -6.4% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 27.9 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 425.95, 7% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 27.9 is below the median for high income countries, which is 478.5, 6% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.54 | 23.9 | 27 | 5 |
| 2000s | 23.36 | 19.6 | 27.1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.99 | 20.3 | 23.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.58 | 22.6 | 29.8 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 43 Cyprus 46.5 compare
- 44 Malta 44.4 compare
- 45 Montenegro 41.5 compare
- 47 Luxembourg 27.7 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 self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland?
- Self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland was 27.9 in 2025, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 29.8 in 2024.
- What is the lowest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.6 in 2009.
- How does Iceland rank for self-employed persons by occupation?
- Iceland ranks 46th out of 47 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed persons by occupation rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Self-employed persons by occupation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).