Percentage of one-person households in Iceland

Iceland: Percentage of one-person households was 31.0% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
31.0%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
19th
of 67 countries
All-time high
31.2%
in 2010
All-time low
27.4%
in 2006
Years of data
13
2004–2016

Percentage of one-person households in Iceland, 2004–2016

01020302004201020162004: 29.5 %2005: 28.7 %2006: 27.4 %2007: 27.5 %2008: 29.3 %2009: 30.3 %2010: 31.2 %2011: 30.9 %2012: 31.1 %2013: 29.3 %2014: 29.3 %2015: 31.1 %2016: 31 %

Source: UN, national statistical agencies, OECD, and Deutschland in Daten (2021) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for percentage of one-person households in Iceland is 31.0%, measured in 2016.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of one-person households in Iceland peaked at 31.2% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 27.4%, in 2006.

That places Iceland 19th out of 67 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Percentage of one-person households in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of one-person households in Iceland, 2004 to 2016.
Year % Change
2004 29.5% —
2005 28.7% -2.7%
2006 27.4% -4.5%
2007 27.5% +0.4%
2008 29.3% +6.5%
2009 30.3% +3.4%
2010 31.2% +3.0%
2011 30.9% -1.0%
2012 31.1% +0.6%
2013 29.3% -5.8%
2014 29.3% +0.0%
2015 31.1% +6.1%
2016 31.0% -0.3%

Iceland compared with similar countries

  • Iceland's 31.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.4%, 1.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
  • Iceland's 31.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 32.6%, 95% of the median. (33 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 28.8% 27.4% 30.3% 6
2010s 30.6% 29.3% 31.2% 7

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 16 Bulgaria 33.3% compare
  2. 17 Hungary 33.2% compare
  3. 18 Italy 32.6% compare
  4. 20 United Kingdom 29.9% compare
  5. 21 Slovenia 29.6% compare
  6. 22 Romania 29.2% compare

See the full ranking of 67 places →

More reference data data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of one-person households in Iceland?
Percentage of one-person households in Iceland was 31.0% in 2016, according to UN, national statistical agencies, OECD, and Deutschland in Daten (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest percentage of one-person households recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 31.2% in 2010.
What is the lowest percentage of one-person households recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 27.4% in 2006.
How does Iceland rank for percentage of one-person households?
Iceland ranks 19th out of 67 countries with data for 2016.
Is percentage of one-person households 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 UN, national statistical agencies, OECD, and Deutschland in Daten (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Percentage of one-person households. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of one-person households in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on UN, national statistical agencies, OECD, and Deutschland in Daten (2021) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/one-person-households/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of one-person households
Unit
%
Source
UN, national statistical agencies, OECD, and Deutschland in Daten (2021) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
67 places, 726 data points, 1960–2018
Last refreshed

Number of one-person households as a share of the total number of households. Estimates combine multiple sources, including cross-country surveys and census data.