Iceland vs Norway: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Iceland
4.5%
in 2025
Norway
4.5%
in 2025
Iceland rank
112th
Norway rank
112th
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates over time
- Iceland
- Norway
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 4.5% against 4.5% in Norway, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Norway ahead.
Iceland ranks 112th and Norway ranks 112th of 185 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 2 and Norway in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | Norway | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.7% | 5.1% | 1.4% | Norway |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 3.6% | 0.3% | Norway |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 3.7% | 0.9% | Iceland |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 4.0% | 0.5% | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates, Iceland or Norway?
- Iceland, at 4.5% against 4.5% in Norway as of 2025.
- What is the difference in unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates between Iceland and Norway?
- 0.0%, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Norway?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Iceland and Norway rank globally for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Iceland ranks 112th and Norway ranks 112th of 185 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.