Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in Iceland
Iceland: Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips was 3.19 ratio in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in Iceland, 1995–2021
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in ratio.
Analysis
In 2021, ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in Iceland stood at 3.19 ratio.
That represents a change of down 14.8% on the previous year and up 92.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in Iceland peaked at 3.74 ratio in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.9591 ratio, in 2006.
That places Iceland 24th out of 107 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in Iceland, year by year
| Year | ratio | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1.14 ratio | — |
| 1996 | 1.06 ratio | -7.6% |
| 1997 | 0.9951 ratio | -5.9% |
| 1998 | 1.02 ratio | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 1.02 ratio | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 1.07 ratio | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 1.03 ratio | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 0.9591 ratio | -6.7% |
| 2007 | 1.05 ratio | +9.9% |
| 2008 | 1.21 ratio | +15.0% |
| 2009 | 1.91 ratio | +57.3% |
| 2010 | 1.64 ratio | -14.3% |
| 2011 | 1.66 ratio | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 1.88 ratio | +13.3% |
| 2013 | 2.21 ratio | +17.7% |
| 2014 | 2.49 ratio | +12.7% |
| 2015 | 2.86 ratio | +14.9% |
| 2016 | 3.34 ratio | +16.7% |
| 2017 | 3.59 ratio | +7.5% |
| 2018 | 3.51 ratio | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 3.29 ratio | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 3.74 ratio | +13.5% |
| 2021 | 3.19 ratio | -14.8% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 3.19 ratio is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.36 ratio, 2.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 3.19 ratio is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.23 ratio, 2.6× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.05 ratio | 0.9951 ratio | 1.14 ratio | 5 |
| 2000s | 1.21 ratio | 0.9591 ratio | 1.91 ratio | 6 |
| 2010s | 2.65 ratio | 1.64 ratio | 3.59 ratio | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.46 ratio | 3.19 ratio | 3.74 ratio | 2 |
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 ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in Iceland?
- Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips in Iceland was 3.19 ratio in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.74 ratio in 2020.
- What is the lowest ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9591 ratio in 2006.
- How does Iceland rank for ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips?
- Iceland ranks 24th out of 107 countries with data for 2021.
- Is ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 92.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Ratio of inbound to outbound tourist trips. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Tourist trips refer to the number of trips made by individuals traveling abroad and staying overnight. A country with a ratio greater than one has more incoming than outgoing tourists (i.e. has more visitors than locals leaving).