Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Iceland

Iceland: Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) was 8.6% in 2016. ▬ Flat

Latest (2016)
8.6%
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
107th
of 113 countries
All-time high
14.5%
in 2007
All-time low
5.6%
in 2010
Years of data
26
1991–2016

Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Iceland, 1991–2016

0510151991200320161991: 7.6 %1992: 7.8 %1993: 7.7 %1994: 7.7 %1995: 7.7 %1996: 7.7 %1997: 7.8 %1998: 7.9 %1999: 8.2 %2000: 8.5 %2001: 10.3 %2002: 11.1 %2003: 11.1 %2004: 9.3 %2005: 10.1 %2006: 10.6 %2007: 14.5 %2008: 7.6 %2009: 6.6 %2010: 5.6 %2011: 5.9 %2012: 6.4 %2013: 8.4 %2014: 8.6 %2015: 8.5 %2016: 8.6 %

Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Iceland is 8.6%, measured in 2016.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Iceland peaked at 14.5% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2010.

That places Iceland 107th out of 113 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.8% 7.6% 8.2% 9
2000s 10.0% 6.6% 14.5% 10
2010s 7.4% 5.6% 8.6% 7

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 104 Seychelles 8.8% compare
  2. 105 Guinea 8.7% compare
  3. 106 Belgium 8.7% compare
  4. 108 Cyprus 8.5% compare
  5. 109 North Macedonia 8.2% compare
  6. 110 Slovenia 8.0% compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Iceland?
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Iceland was 8.6% in 2016, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 14.5% in 2007.
What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2010.
How does Iceland rank for income share of the richest 1% (before tax)?
Iceland ranks 107th out of 113 countries with data for 2016.
Is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Income share of the richest 1% (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax)
Unit
%
Source
World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
113 places, 3,075 data points, 1820–2024
Last refreshed

The share of income received by the richest 1%. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.