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

Iceland: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 24.0% in 2023. β–² Rising

Latest (2023)
24.0%
Change on year
up 7.3%
World rank
26th
of 95 countries
All-time high
26.5%
in 2019
All-time low
11.2%
in 2004
Years of data
18
2000–2023

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland, 2000–2023

01020302000201120232000: 13.2 %2001: 12.8 %2002: 14.7 %2004: 11.2 %2005: 12.4 %2011: 20.9 %2012: 24.8 %2013: 20.9 %2014: 21.2 %2015: 20.8 %2016: 23.6 %2017: 23.2 %2018: 22.4 %2019: 26.5 %2020: 24.1 %2021: 23.3 %2022: 22.4 %2023: 24 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Iceland recorded 24.0% for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.3% on the previous year and up 14.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland peaked at 26.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 11.2%, in 2004.

That places Iceland 26th out of 95 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 12.8% 11.2% 14.7% 5
2010s 22.7% 20.8% 26.5% 9
2020s 23.4% 22.4% 24.1% 4

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 23 Latvia 26.8% compare
  2. 24 Spain 25.0% compare
  3. 25 Germany 24.8% compare
  4. 27 Slovenia 23.9% compare
  5. 28 Poland 22.4% compare
  6. 29 Zimbabwe 22.0% compare

See the full ranking of 95 places β†’

More education data for Iceland

All data for Iceland β†’

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 24.0% 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 26.5% in 2019.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 11.2% in 2004.
How does Iceland rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Iceland ranks 26th out of 95 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 14.8%. 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, rural, 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 20 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-7/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
95 places, 1,561 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release