Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iceland
Iceland: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 4.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iceland, 1990–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iceland is 4.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.5% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iceland peaked at 7.6% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1990.
That places Iceland 112th out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.8% | — |
| 1991 | 2.5% | +45.0% |
| 1992 | 4.3% | +68.9% |
| 1993 | 5.3% | +22.0% |
| 1994 | 5.3% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 5.2% | -2.5% |
| 1996 | 3.6% | -30.7% |
| 1997 | 3.7% | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 3.1% | -17.5% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | -29.0% |
| 2000 | 1.9% | -11.1% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 3.0% | +59.4% |
| 2003 | 4.0% | +33.8% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -36.8% |
| 2006 | 2.8% | +11.1% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | -20.5% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | +30.9% |
| 2009 | 7.2% | +145.1% |
| 2010 | 7.6% | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 7.0% | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 6.0% | -14.6% |
| 2013 | 5.4% | -10.4% |
| 2014 | 4.9% | -8.9% |
| 2015 | 4.0% | -18.7% |
| 2016 | 3.0% | -25.2% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | -7.9% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 3.5% | +29.7% |
| 2020 | 5.5% | +56.2% |
| 2021 | 6.0% | +10.1% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -37.2% |
| 2023 | 3.5% | -7.2% |
| 2024 | 3.6% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 4.5% | +26.5% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 4.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 92% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 4.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.6%, 81% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iceland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +145.1% | 2.9% | 7.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.7% | 1.8% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 1.9% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 2.7% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 3.5% | 6.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More reference data data for Iceland
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0288 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0708 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1854 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0001 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.1854 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0964 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.062 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2576 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.7664 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0005 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iceland?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Iceland was 4.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 7.6% in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1990.
- How does Iceland rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Iceland ranks 112th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.