Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Iceland
Iceland: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes was 19.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Iceland, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 19.5% for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.5% on the previous year and up 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Iceland peaked at 26.1% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 14.6%, in 2013.
That places Iceland 90th out of 184 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 25.6% | — |
| 1999 | 26.1% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 26.0% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 25.5% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 23.2% | -9.2% |
| 2003 | 21.2% | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 20.8% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 19.9% | -4.5% |
| 2006 | 20.7% | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 21.0% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 21.6% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 21.1% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 17.2% | -18.4% |
| 2011 | 16.8% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 15.6% | -7.0% |
| 2013 | 14.6% | -6.3% |
| 2014 | 15.1% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 15.1% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 16.3% | +7.9% |
| 2017 | 15.7% | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 16.1% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 18.7% | +16.0% |
| 2020 | 18.6% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 14.7% | -20.9% |
| 2022 | 16.7% | +13.5% |
| 2023 | 19.5% | +16.5% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 19.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.8%, 2.5× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 19.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.5%, 2.6× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.8% | 25.6% | 26.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 22.1% | 19.9% | 26.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.1% | 14.6% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 14.7% | 19.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 87 Algeria 20.4% compare
- 88 Turks and Caicos Islands 19.9% compare
- 89 Namibia 19.7% compare
- 91 Montserrat 19.4% compare
- 92 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 19.4% compare
- 93 Saint Kitts and Nevis 18.9% 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Iceland?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Iceland was 19.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 26.1% in 1999.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.6% in 2013.
- How does Iceland rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes?
- Iceland ranks 90th out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.3%. 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release