Average age of mothers at childbirth in Iceland
Iceland: Average age of mothers at childbirth was 30.84 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
30.84 years
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
46th
of 236 countries
All-time high
30.84 years
in 2023
All-time low
26.91 years
in 1978
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Average age of mothers at childbirth in Iceland, 1950–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average age of mothers at childbirth in Iceland is 30.84 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average age of mothers at childbirth in Iceland peaked at 30.84 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 26.91 years, in 1978.
Iceland ranks 46th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Average age of mothers at childbirth in Iceland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 28.64 years | — |
| 1951 | 28.5 years | -0.5% |
| 1952 | 28.46 years | -0.1% |
| 1953 | 28.36 years | -0.3% |
| 1954 | 28.14 years | -0.8% |
| 1955 | 28.06 years | -0.3% |
| 1956 | 28.05 years | -0.0% |
| 1957 | 28.06 years | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 27.97 years | -0.3% |
| 1959 | 28.04 years | +0.2% |
| 1960 | 28.04 years | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 27.89 years | -0.5% |
| 1962 | 27.98 years | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 27.82 years | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 27.8 years | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 27.73 years | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 27.55 years | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 27.48 years | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 27.41 years | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 27.32 years | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 27.2 years | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 27.13 years | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 27.11 years | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 27.01 years | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 26.94 years | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 27 years | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 26.95 years | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 26.92 years | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 26.91 years | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 27.09 years | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 27.12 years | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 27.16 years | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 27.09 years | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 27.26 years | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 27.34 years | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 27.31 years | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 27.23 years | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 27.32 years | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 27.53 years | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 27.77 years | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 27.99 years | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 28.25 years | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 28.47 years | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 28.58 years | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 28.63 years | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 28.66 years | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 28.77 years | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 28.66 years | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 28.73 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 28.75 years | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 28.89 years | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 29.04 years | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 29.21 years | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 29.32 years | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 29.46 years | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 29.44 years | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 29.5 years | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 29.57 years | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 29.75 years | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 29.89 years | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 30.01 years | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 30.05 years | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 30.13 years | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 30.23 years | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 30.22 years | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 30.35 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 30.46 years | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 30.56 years | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 30.6 years | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 30.75 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 30.71 years | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 30.81 years | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 30.82 years | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 30.84 years | +0.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 30.84 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.49 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 30.84 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.36 years, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 28.23 years | 27.97 years | 28.64 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 27.7 years | 27.32 years | 28.04 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.03 years | 26.91 years | 27.2 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.31 years | 27.09 years | 27.77 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.55 years | 27.99 years | 28.77 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.41 years | 28.89 years | 29.89 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.34 years | 30.01 years | 30.75 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.8 years | 30.71 years | 30.84 years | 4 |
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 average age of mothers at childbirth in Iceland?
- Average age of mothers at childbirth in Iceland was 30.84 years in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average age of mothers at childbirth recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 30.84 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest average age of mothers at childbirth recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.91 years in 1978.
- How does Iceland rank for average age of mothers at childbirth?
- Iceland ranks 46th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average age of mothers at childbirth rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Average age of mothers at childbirth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children if women were subject throughout their lives to the age-specific fertility rates observed in a given year.