Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland
Iceland: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 59.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
59.9%
Change on year
down 4.8%
World rank
40th
of 110 countries
All-time high
69.4%
in 2021
All-time low
55.0%
in 1996
Years of data
28
1996–2023
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland, 1996–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland stood at 59.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.8% on the previous year and down 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland peaked at 69.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 55.0%, in 1996.
Iceland ranks 40th of 110 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 55.0% | — |
| 1997 | 64.6% | +17.5% |
| 1998 | 60.8% | -5.8% |
| 1999 | 60.8% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 62.5% | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 57.7% | -7.7% |
| 2002 | 60.3% | +4.5% |
| 2003 | 59.6% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 65.4% | +9.7% |
| 2005 | 61.8% | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 64.8% | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 65.6% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 63.1% | -3.9% |
| 2009 | 65.1% | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 66.5% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 66.2% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 68.1% | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 67.0% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 67.2% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 66.0% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 61.6% | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 60.4% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 59.1% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 61.7% | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 68.2% | +10.6% |
| 2021 | 69.4% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 62.9% | -9.3% |
| 2023 | 59.9% | -4.8% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 59.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 66.1%, 91% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 59.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 66.3%, 90% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.3% | 55.0% | 64.6% | 4 |
| 2000s | 62.6% | 57.7% | 65.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.4% | 59.1% | 68.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.1% | 59.9% | 69.4% | 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 participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland was 59.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 69.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.0% in 1996.
- How does Iceland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Iceland ranks 40th out of 110 countries with data for 2023.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-24 years old, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release