Unemployment rate for young people in Iceland
Iceland: Unemployment rate for young people was 8.67 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
8.67
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
132nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
15.86
in 2010
All-time low
4.19
in 1999
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate for young people in Iceland, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 8.67 for unemployment rate for young people in 2025.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate for young people in Iceland peaked at 15.86 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 4.19, in 1999.
That places Iceland 132nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate for young people in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.85 | — |
| 1992 | 9.78 | +101.7% |
| 1993 | 9.89 | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 11.46 | +15.8% |
| 1995 | 11.7 | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 8.32 | -28.8% |
| 1997 | 7.83 | -5.9% |
| 1998 | 6.78 | -13.5% |
| 1999 | 4.19 | -38.3% |
| 2000 | 4.25 | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 4.86 | +14.5% |
| 2002 | 6.16 | +26.7% |
| 2003 | 11.81 | +91.9% |
| 2004 | 11.49 | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 7.05 | -38.6% |
| 2006 | 7.92 | +12.3% |
| 2007 | 6.68 | -15.6% |
| 2008 | 7.87 | +17.7% |
| 2009 | 15.46 | +96.4% |
| 2010 | 15.86 | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 14.15 | -10.8% |
| 2012 | 13.2 | -6.7% |
| 2013 | 10.41 | -21.1% |
| 2014 | 9.57 | -8.2% |
| 2015 | 8.58 | -10.3% |
| 2016 | 6.32 | -26.4% |
| 2017 | 7.54 | +19.4% |
| 2018 | 5.9 | -21.8% |
| 2019 | 8.45 | +43.2% |
| 2020 | 9.87 | +16.8% |
| 2021 | 11.83 | +19.8% |
| 2022 | 8.42 | -28.8% |
| 2023 | 8.49 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 8.78 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | 8.67 | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.31 | 4.19 | 11.7 | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.35 | 4.25 | 15.46 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10 | 5.9 | 15.86 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.34 | 8.42 | 11.83 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 129 Netherlands 8.83 compare
- 130 Sao Tome and Principe 8.79 compare
- 131 Comoros 8.75 compare
- 133 Honduras 8.53 compare
- 134 Malta 8.43 compare
- 135 Kyrgyzstan 8.23 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 unemployment rate for young people in Iceland?
- Unemployment rate for young people in Iceland was 8.67 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 15.86 in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.19 in 1999.
- How does Iceland rank for unemployment rate for young people?
- Iceland ranks 132nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate for young people rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate for young people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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