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

Iceland: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 52.6% in 2023. β–² Rising

Latest (2023)
52.6%
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
13th
of 101 countries
All-time high
52.6%
in 2023
All-time low
25.7%
in 2004
Years of data
19
1999–2023

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland, 1999–2023

02040601999201120231999: 26 %2000: 28.3 %2001: 27.6 %2002: 28.4 %2004: 25.7 %2005: 28.3 %2011: 42.1 %2012: 40.7 %2013: 41.6 %2014: 42.3 %2015: 45.1 %2016: 46.4 %2017: 48.7 %2018: 52 %2019: 51.6 %2020: 50.5 %2021: 47.4 %2022: 50.9 %2023: 52.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland is 52.6%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.

The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 26.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Iceland peaked at 52.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 25.7%, in 2004.

That places Iceland 13th out of 101 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 26.0% 26.0% 26.0% 1
2000s 27.7% 25.7% 28.4% 5
2010s 45.6% 40.7% 52.0% 9
2020s 50.4% 47.4% 52.6% 4

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 10 Armenia 54.0% compare
  2. 11 United States 54.0% compare
  3. 12 Norway 53.8% compare
  4. 14 Estonia 51.9% compare
  5. 15 United Kingdom 50.5% compare
  6. 16 Israel 49.0% compare

See the full ranking of 101 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 52.6% 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 52.6% in 2023.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 25.7% in 2004.
How does Iceland rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Iceland ranks 13th out of 101 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 26.3%. 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, urban, female (%). 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-8/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
101 places, 1,571 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release