Employment by status in Iceland
Iceland: Employment by status was 86.7% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
86.7%
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
35th
of 186 countries
All-time high
86.7%
in 2024
All-time low
79.8%
in 1991
Years of data
34
1991–2024
Employment by status in Iceland, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, employment by status in Iceland stood at 86.7%. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Iceland peaked at 86.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 79.8%, in 1991.
Iceland ranks 35th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Employment by status in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 79.8% | — |
| 1992 | 80.7% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 82.0% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 81.6% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 81.9% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 82.4% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 82.6% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 82.5% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 82.7% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 82.8% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 83.0% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 83.0% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 83.6% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 83.6% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 83.4% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 83.4% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 83.7% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 83.8% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 83.9% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 83.6% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 83.5% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 83.3% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 83.3% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 83.3% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 83.3% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 83.5% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 83.7% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 83.9% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 84.1% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 84.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 83.0% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 83.3% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 84.9% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 86.7% | +2.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 86.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 86.7%, 100% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 86.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.3%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 81.8% | 79.8% | 82.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 83.4% | 82.8% | 83.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.6% | 83.3% | 84.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.4% | 83.0% | 86.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
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 employment by status in Iceland?
- Employment by status in Iceland was 86.7% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 86.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.8% in 1991.
- How does Iceland rank for employment by status?
- Iceland ranks 35th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.