Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 … tertiary 5 both sexes in Iceland
Iceland: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 … tertiary 5 both sexes was 794 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
794
Change on year
up 12.8%
World rank
129th
of 149 countries
All-time high
1,469
in 1998
All-time low
259
in 2012
Years of data
26
1998–2023
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Iceland, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Iceland stood at 794.
The figure is up 12.8% on the previous year and up 75.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Iceland peaked at 1,469 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 259, in 2012.
Iceland ranks 129th of 149 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 … tertiary 5 both sexes in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1,469 | — |
| 1999 | 913 | -37.8% |
| 2000 | 829 | -9.2% |
| 2001 | 835 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 789 | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 742 | -6.0% |
| 2004 | 699 | -5.8% |
| 2005 | 609 | -12.9% |
| 2006 | 389 | -36.1% |
| 2007 | 300 | -22.9% |
| 2008 | 429 | +43.0% |
| 2009 | 325 | -24.2% |
| 2010 | 326 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 359 | +10.1% |
| 2012 | 259 | -27.9% |
| 2013 | 452 | +74.5% |
| 2014 | 543 | +20.1% |
| 2015 | 485 | -10.7% |
| 2016 | 469 | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 592 | +26.2% |
| 2018 | 588 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 624 | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 813 | +30.3% |
| 2021 | 768 | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 704 | -8.3% |
| 2023 | 794 | +12.8% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 794 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10,736, 7% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 794 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15,778, 5% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,191 | 913 | 1,469 | 2 |
| 2000s | 594.6 | 300 | 835 | 10 |
| 2010s | 469.7 | 259 | 624 | 10 |
| 2020s | 769.75 | 704 | 813 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 126 Czechia 1,070 compare
- 127 Luxembourg 829 compare
- 128 Cayman Islands 816 compare
- 130 British Virgin Islands 713 compare
- 131 Djibouti 692 compare
- 132 San Marino 618 compare
More education data for Iceland
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,661 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6,167 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 37,056 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 32,314 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.17 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0838 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Iceland?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Iceland was 794 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 1,469 in 1998.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 259 in 2012.
- How does Iceland rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
- Iceland ranks 129th out of 149 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 75.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release