Expenditure on tertiary education in Iceland
Iceland: Expenditure on tertiary education was 19.9% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Iceland, 1990–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2016, expenditure on tertiary education in Iceland stood at 19.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.4% on the previous year and up 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Iceland peaked at 22.4% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 13.7%, in 1990.
That places Iceland 82nd out of 160 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13.7% | — |
| 1993 | 22.4% | +63.3% |
| 1994 | 20.0% | -10.8% |
| 1995 | 19.2% | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 16.4% | -14.5% |
| 1999 | 18.0% | +9.7% |
| 2000 | 18.1% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 17.9% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 18.1% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 18.6% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 18.5% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 19.1% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 18.9% | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 19.7% | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 20.4% | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 21.5% | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 19.4% | -9.5% |
| 2012 | 19.4% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 19.4% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 18.8% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 18.9% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 19.9% | +5.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.3% | 13.7% | 22.4% | 6 |
| 2000s | 18.7% | 17.9% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.6% | 18.8% | 21.5% | 7 |
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 expenditure on tertiary education in Iceland?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Iceland was 19.9% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 22.4% in 1993.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.7% in 1990.
- How does Iceland rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Iceland ranks 82nd out of 160 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.