Self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland

Iceland: Self-employed persons by occupation was 27.9 Thousand persons in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
27.9 Thousand persons
Change on year
down 6.4%
World rank
35th
of 36 countries
All-time high
29.8 Thousand persons
in 2024
All-time low
19.6 Thousand persons
in 2009
Years of data
31
1995–2025

Self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland, 1995–2025

01020301995201020251995: 25 Thousand persons1996: 25.2 Thousand persons1997: 23.9 Thousand persons1998: 26.6 Thousand persons1999: 27 Thousand persons2000: 27.1 Thousand persons2001: 26.7 Thousand persons2002: 26.4 Thousand persons2003: 20.6 Thousand persons2004: 20.6 Thousand persons2005: 22.4 Thousand persons2006: 24.3 Thousand persons2007: 23.8 Thousand persons2008: 22.1 Thousand persons2009: 19.6 Thousand persons2010: 20.6 Thousand persons2011: 20.5 Thousand persons2012: 20.3 Thousand persons2013: 21.5 Thousand persons2014: 22.3 Thousand persons2015: 22.7 Thousand persons2016: 22.7 Thousand persons2017: 22.5 Thousand persons2018: 23.5 Thousand persons2019: 23.3 Thousand persons2020: 22.6 Thousand persons2021: 24.8 Thousand persons2022: 25.7 Thousand persons2023: 28.7 Thousand persons2024: 29.8 Thousand persons2025: 27.9 Thousand persons

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.

Analysis

Iceland recorded 27.9 Thousand persons 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 Thousand persons in 2024 and was at its lowest, 19.6 Thousand persons, in 2009.

Iceland ranks 35th of 36 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.54 Thousand persons 23.9 Thousand persons 27 Thousand persons 5
2000s 23.36 Thousand persons 19.6 Thousand persons 27.1 Thousand persons 10
2010s 21.99 Thousand persons 20.3 Thousand persons 23.5 Thousand persons 10
2020s 26.58 Thousand persons 22.6 Thousand persons 29.8 Thousand persons 6

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 32 Cyprus 46.5 Thousand persons compare
  2. 33 Malta 44.4 Thousand persons compare
  3. 34 Montenegro 41.5 Thousand persons compare
  4. 36 Luxembourg 27.6 Thousand persons compare

See the full ranking of 38 places →

More work & labour data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland?
Self-employed persons by occupation in Iceland was 27.9 Thousand persons in 2025, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 29.8 Thousand persons in 2024.
What is the lowest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 19.6 Thousand persons in 2009.
How does Iceland rank for self-employed persons by occupation?
Iceland ranks 35th out of 36 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Self-employed persons by occupation
Unit
Thousand persons
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
38 places, 1,169 data points, 1983–2025
Last refreshed