Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Iceland
Iceland: Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper was 11.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Iceland, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Iceland is 11.6%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.6% on the previous year and up 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Iceland peaked at 15.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 2021.
That places Iceland 93rd out of 179 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 15.0% | — |
| 1999 | 15.8% | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 15.9% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 15.4% | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 13.4% | -12.9% |
| 2003 | 11.9% | -11.1% |
| 2004 | 11.7% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 11.2% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 11.9% | +6.2% |
| 2007 | 12.4% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 12.7% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 12.6% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 10.4% | -17.2% |
| 2011 | 10.2% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 9.5% | -6.7% |
| 2013 | 9.0% | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 9.2% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 9.2% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 9.8% | +7.3% |
| 2017 | 9.4% | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 9.8% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 11.1% | +13.3% |
| 2020 | 11.0% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 8.7% | -20.6% |
| 2022 | 9.9% | +13.3% |
| 2023 | 11.6% | +16.6% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 11.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.6%, 2.5× the median. (69 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 11.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.3%, 2.7× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.4% | 15.0% | 15.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.9% | 11.2% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.8% | 9.0% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.3% | 8.7% | 11.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 90 Russian Federation 11.8% compare
- 91 Qatar 11.7% compare
- 92 South Africa 11.7% compare
- 94 Ukraine 11.4% compare
- 95 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 11.3% compare
- 96 Saint Kitts and Nevis 11.2% 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 rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Iceland?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Iceland was 11.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 15.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 2021.
- How does Iceland rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper?
- Iceland ranks 93rd out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.8%. 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 Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). 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