Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Iceland
Iceland: Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate was 94.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Iceland, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 94.2% for urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Iceland peaked at 94.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 71.9%, in 1950.
That places Iceland 30th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 71.9% | — |
| 1951 | 74.4% | +3.4% |
| 1952 | 74.8% | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 75.7% | +1.1% |
| 1954 | 76.5% | +1.2% |
| 1955 | 77.0% | +0.6% |
| 1956 | 77.4% | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 77.9% | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 78.7% | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 79.7% | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 80.4% | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 81.0% | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 81.5% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 82.0% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 82.7% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 83.2% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 83.5% | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 83.9% | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 84.4% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 84.8% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 85.0% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 85.3% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 85.7% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 86.2% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 86.5% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 86.9% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 87.2% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 87.4% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 87.7% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 87.9% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 88.1% | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 88.3% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 88.6% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 88.9% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 89.1% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 89.3% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 89.6% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 89.8% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 90.1% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 90.4% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 90.6% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 90.9% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 91.1% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 91.3% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 91.4% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 91.6% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 91.8% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 92.0% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 91.7% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 91.8% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 92.0% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 92.0% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 92.2% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 92.3% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 92.4% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 92.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 92.2% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 92.4% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 93.1% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 93.4% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 93.5% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 93.4% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 93.5% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 93.6% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 93.6% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 93.7% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 93.8% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 93.8% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 93.9% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 94.0% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 94.1% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 94.2% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 94.2% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 94.2% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 94.2% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 94.2% | +0.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 94.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 1.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 94.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.6%, 1.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 76.4% | 71.9% | 79.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 82.7% | 80.4% | 84.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 86.6% | 85.0% | 87.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 89.2% | 88.1% | 90.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 91.4% | 90.6% | 92.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 92.4% | 92.0% | 93.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 93.7% | 93.4% | 94.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.2% | 94.1% | 94.2% | 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 urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Iceland?
- Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Iceland was 94.2% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest urban population vs. female labor force participation rate recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 94.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population vs. female labor force participation rate recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.9% in 1950.
- How does Iceland rank for urban population vs. female labor force participation rate?
- Iceland ranks 30th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population vs. female labor force participation rate rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.