Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Iceland
Iceland: Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry was 134 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Iceland, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Iceland stood at 134.
The figure is up 5.5% on the previous year and down 32.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Iceland peaked at 509 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 74, in 2012.
That places Iceland 155th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 509 | — |
| 1999 | 385 | -24.4% |
| 2000 | 323 | -16.1% |
| 2001 | 226 | -30.0% |
| 2002 | 279 | +23.5% |
| 2003 | 195 | -30.1% |
| 2004 | 176 | -9.7% |
| 2005 | 155 | -11.9% |
| 2006 | 147 | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 221 | +50.3% |
| 2008 | 134 | -39.4% |
| 2009 | 225 | +67.9% |
| 2010 | 210 | -6.7% |
| 2011 | 164 | -21.9% |
| 2012 | 74 | -54.9% |
| 2013 | 198 | +167.6% |
| 2014 | 156 | -21.2% |
| 2015 | 108 | -30.8% |
| 2016 | 115 | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 97 | -15.7% |
| 2018 | 110 | +13.4% |
| 2019 | 133 | +20.9% |
| 2020 | 152 | +14.3% |
| 2021 | 132 | -13.2% |
| 2022 | 127 | -3.8% |
| 2023 | 134 | +5.5% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 134 is below the median for high income countries, which is 1,726, 8% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 134 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,924, 7% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +167.6% | 74 | 198 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 447 | 385 | 509 | 2 |
| 2000s | 208.1 | 134 | 323 | 10 |
| 2010s | 136.5 | 74 | 210 | 10 |
| 2020s | 136.25 | 127 | 152 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 152 Jamaica 214 compare
- 153 Costa Rica 191 compare
- 154 Saint Lucia 172 compare
- 156 Lithuania 131 compare
- 157 Marshall Islands 72 compare
- 158 Portugal 62 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 out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Iceland?
- Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Iceland was 134 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 509 in 1998.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 74 in 2012.
- How does Iceland rank for out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry?
- Iceland ranks 155th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.3%. 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 Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry age, 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