Unemployment rate of men vs. women in Iceland
Iceland: Unemployment rate of men vs. women was 3.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate of men vs. women in Iceland, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 3.9% for unemployment rate of men vs. women in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate of men vs. women in Iceland peaked at 8.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2000.
That places Iceland 119th 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 of men vs. women in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.3% | — |
| 1992 | 3.8% | +68.0% |
| 1993 | 5.0% | +30.5% |
| 1994 | 5.1% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 5.5% | +6.1% |
| 1996 | 3.7% | -31.6% |
| 1997 | 3.6% | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | -33.1% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | -32.6% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | -19.5% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | +17.7% |
| 2002 | 3.3% | +111.8% |
| 2003 | 4.0% | +22.3% |
| 2004 | 5.1% | +27.8% |
| 2005 | 2.6% | -49.5% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | -15.1% |
| 2008 | 3.2% | +45.3% |
| 2009 | 8.6% | +163.4% |
| 2010 | 8.3% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 7.8% | -6.5% |
| 2012 | 6.3% | -18.8% |
| 2013 | 5.6% | -10.4% |
| 2014 | 5.0% | -11.5% |
| 2015 | 3.9% | -21.7% |
| 2016 | 2.9% | -25.4% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 3.8% | +35.1% |
| 2020 | 5.6% | +46.6% |
| 2021 | 5.7% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 4.1% | -28.0% |
| 2023 | 3.9% | -6.4% |
| 2024 | 3.8% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 3.9% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.7% | 1.6% | 5.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 1.3% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.9% | 2.8% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 3.8% | 5.7% | 6 |
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 rate of men vs. women in Iceland?
- Unemployment rate of men vs. women in Iceland was 3.9% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate of men vs. women recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 8.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate of men vs. women recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2000.
- How does Iceland rank for unemployment rate of men vs. women?
- Iceland ranks 119th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate of men vs. women rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate of men vs. women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of the male labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.