Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland

Iceland: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 42.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
42.3%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
11th
of 32 countries
All-time high
46.9%
in 2019
All-time low
31.3%
in 2014
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland, 2007–2023

010203040502007201520232007: 38.5 %2008: 32.9 %2009: 37.2 %2010: 37.2 %2011: 35.6 %2012: 31.5 %2013: 32.9 %2014: 31.3 %2015: 34.4 %2016: 35.8 %2017: 42.5 %2018: 43.7 %2019: 46.9 %2020: 42.1 %2021: 42.8 %2022: 42.2 %2023: 42.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland is 42.3%, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 28.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland peaked at 46.9% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 31.3%, in 2014.

That places Iceland 11th out of 32 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 36.2% 32.9% 38.5% 3
2010s 37.2% 31.3% 46.9% 10
2020s 42.3% 42.1% 42.8% 4

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 8 Cyprus 45.7% compare
  2. 9 United States of America 44.8% compare
  3. 10 Denmark 42.5% compare
  4. 12 Hungary 39.0% compare
  5. 13 Netherlands 38.4% compare
  6. 14 France 37.3% compare

See the full ranking of 32 places →

More education data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland?
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland was 42.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 46.9% in 2019.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 31.3% in 2014.
How does Iceland rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Iceland ranks 11th out of 32 countries with data for 2023.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, immigrant background, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-20/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, immigrant background, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
32 places, 380 data points, 1994–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release