Share of land covered by lakes and rivers in Iceland

Iceland: Share of land covered by lakes and rivers was 1.61 in 2022. β–² Rising

Latest (2022)
1.61
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
34th
of 207 countries
All-time high
1.61
in 2022
All-time low
0.56
in 2000
Years of data
23
2000–2022

Share of land covered by lakes and rivers in Iceland, 2000–2022

0.50.7511.21.52000201120222000: 0.562001: 0.852002: 1.12003: 1.42004: 1.42005: 1.42006: 1.42007: 1.42008: 1.42009: 1.42010: 1.42011: 1.42012: 1.42013: 1.42014: 1.42015: 1.42016: 1.42017: 1.52018: 1.52019: 1.52020: 1.52021: 1.62022: 1.6

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of land covered by lakes and rivers in Iceland is 1.61, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 16.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of land covered by lakes and rivers in Iceland peaked at 1.61 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.56, in 2000.

That places Iceland 34th out of 207 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.22 0.56 1.42 10
2010s 1.42 1.38 1.48 10
2020s 1.55 1.49 1.61 3

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 31 Turks and Caicos Islands 1.84 compare
  2. 32 North Macedonia, Republic of 1.77 compare
  3. 33 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China 1.63 compare
  4. 35 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.53 compare
  5. 36 Chile 1.49 compare
  6. 37 Cayman Islands 1.39 compare

See the full ranking of 207 places β†’

More reference data data for Iceland

All data for Iceland β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is share of land covered by lakes and rivers in Iceland?
Share of land covered by lakes and rivers in Iceland was 1.61 in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of land covered by lakes and rivers recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 1.61 in 2022.
What is the lowest share of land covered by lakes and rivers recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 0.56 in 2000.
How does Iceland rank for share of land covered by lakes and rivers?
Iceland ranks 34th out of 207 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of land covered by lakes and rivers rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land covered by lakes and rivers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of land covered by lakes and rivers in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-land-covered-by-lakes-and-rivers/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of land covered by lakes and rivers
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
207 places, 4,761 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed