Antibiotic usage by surveillance category in Iceland

Iceland: Antibiotic usage by surveillance category was 15.59 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
15.59 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
11th
of 46 countries
All-time high
16.99 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day
in 2017
All-time low
13.85 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day
in 2020
Years of data
8
2016–2023

Antibiotic usage by surveillance category in Iceland, 2016–2023

0510152016201920232016: 15.3 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day2017: 17 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day2018: 16.6 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day2019: 16.1 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day2020: 13.9 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day2021: 14.1 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day2022: 15.7 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day2023: 15.6 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day

Source: WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day.

Analysis

The most recent figure for antibiotic usage by surveillance category in Iceland is 15.59 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.

Iceland ranks 11th of 46 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 16.24 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day 15.3 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day 16.99 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day 4
2020s 14.81 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day 13.85 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day 15.69 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day 4

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 8 Colombia 16.31 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
  2. 9 Spain 15.75 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
  3. 10 Burkina Faso 15.61 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
  4. 12 Laos 15.33 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
  5. 13 Benin 15.33 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
  6. 14 South Africa 15.13 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More reference data data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is antibiotic usage by surveillance category in Iceland?
Antibiotic usage by surveillance category in Iceland was 15.59 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in 2023, according to WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest antibiotic usage by surveillance category recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 16.99 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in 2017.
What is the lowest antibiotic usage by surveillance category recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 13.85 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in 2020.
How does Iceland rank for antibiotic usage by surveillance category?
Iceland ranks 11th out of 46 countries with data for 2023.
Is antibiotic usage by surveillance category rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Antibiotic usage by surveillance category. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Antibiotic usage by surveillance category
Unit
defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day
Source
WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
46 places, 344 data points, 2016–2023
Last refreshed

Total defined daily doses of AWaRe category: Access used per 1000 inhabitants per day. Access antibiotics have activity against a wide range of common pathogens and show lower resistance potential than antibiotics in the other groups.