Unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data in Iceland
Iceland: Unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data was 15 Thousand persons in 2026. ▲ Rising
Latest (2026)
15 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 25.0%
World rank
44th
of 45 countries
All-time high
15 Thousand persons
in 2020
All-time low
5 Thousand persons
in 2016
Years of data
18
2009–2026
Unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data in Iceland, 2009–2026
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data in Iceland is 15 Thousand persons, measured in 2026. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.
That represents a change of up 25.0% on the previous year and up 200.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data in Iceland peaked at 15 Thousand persons in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5 Thousand persons, in 2016.
That places Iceland 44th out of 45 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Thousand persons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 12 Thousand persons | — |
| 2010 | 13 Thousand persons | +8.3% |
| 2011 | 10 Thousand persons | -23.1% |
| 2012 | 8 Thousand persons | -20.0% |
| 2013 | 8 Thousand persons | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8 Thousand persons | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6 Thousand persons | -25.0% |
| 2016 | 5 Thousand persons | -16.7% |
| 2017 | 5 Thousand persons | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 Thousand persons | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 7 Thousand persons | +40.0% |
| 2020 | 15 Thousand persons | +114.3% |
| 2021 | 9 Thousand persons | -40.0% |
| 2022 | 7 Thousand persons | -22.2% |
| 2023 | 8 Thousand persons | +14.3% |
| 2024 | 7 Thousand persons | -12.5% |
| 2025 | 12 Thousand persons | +71.4% |
| 2026 | 15 Thousand persons | +25.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 15 Thousand persons is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 218 Thousand persons, 7% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 15 Thousand persons is below the median for high income countries, which is 219.5 Thousand persons, 7% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12 Thousand persons | 12 Thousand persons | 12 Thousand persons | 1 |
| 2010s | 7.5 Thousand persons | 5 Thousand persons | 13 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.43 Thousand persons | 7 Thousand persons | 15 Thousand persons | 7 |
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 unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data in Iceland?
- Unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data in Iceland was 15 Thousand persons in 2026, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 15 Thousand persons in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 5 Thousand persons in 2016.
- How does Iceland rank for unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data?
- Iceland ranks 44th out of 45 countries with data for 2026.
- Is unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 200.0%. 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 Unemployment by sex and age - quarterly data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).