Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 … tertiary 8 both sexes in Iceland
Iceland: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 … tertiary 8 both sexes was 741 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in Iceland, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 741 for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in 2023. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 13.8% on the previous year and up 57.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Iceland peaked at 741 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 14, in 1998.
Iceland ranks 109th of 143 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 … tertiary 8 both sexes in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 14 | — |
| 1999 | 20 | +42.9% |
| 2000 | 18 | -10.0% |
| 2001 | 50 | +177.8% |
| 2002 | 38 | -24.0% |
| 2003 | 45 | +18.4% |
| 2004 | 51 | +13.3% |
| 2005 | 134 | +162.7% |
| 2006 | 156 | +16.4% |
| 2007 | 201 | +28.8% |
| 2008 | 264 | +31.3% |
| 2009 | 282 | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 313 | +11.0% |
| 2011 | 478 | +52.7% |
| 2012 | 452 | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 470 | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 491 | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 519 | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 465 | -10.4% |
| 2017 | 469 | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 637 | +35.8% |
| 2019 | 577 | -9.4% |
| 2020 | 580 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 656 | +13.1% |
| 2022 | 651 | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 741 | +13.8% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 741 is below the median for high income countries, which is 8,720, 8% of the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 741 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6,008, 12% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 … tertiary 8 both sexes in Iceland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +177.8% | 18 | 50 |
| 2005 | +162.7% | 51 | 134 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17 | 14 | 20 | 2 |
| 2000s | 123.9 | 18 | 282 | 10 |
| 2010s | 487.1 | 313 | 637 | 10 |
| 2020s | 657 | 580 | 741 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
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 8 programmes, both sexes in Iceland?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Iceland was 741 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 741 in 2023.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14 in 1998.
- How does Iceland rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes?
- Iceland ranks 109th out of 143 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 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