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 28.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland, 1995–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland is 28.0%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland peaked at 30.9% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 15.4%, in 1995.
That places Iceland 5th out of 105 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 15.4% | — |
| 1996 | 17.2% | +12.0% |
| 1997 | 18.0% | +4.5% |
| 1998 | 21.0% | +16.8% |
| 1999 | 21.6% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 24.5% | +13.3% |
| 2001 | 25.3% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 25.7% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 28.1% | +9.4% |
| 2004 | 25.5% | -9.3% |
| 2005 | 27.6% | +7.9% |
| 2006 | 30.0% | +8.8% |
| 2007 | 29.0% | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 26.8% | -7.7% |
| 2009 | 27.3% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 27.7% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 28.1% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 30.1% | +7.0% |
| 2013 | 28.3% | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 28.7% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 30.9% | +7.7% |
| 2016 | 27.1% | -12.4% |
| 2017 | 26.1% | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 23.6% | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 24.0% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 22.6% | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 26.2% | +15.8% |
| 2022 | 29.6% | +13.1% |
| 2023 | 28.0% | -5.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 28.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.3%, 3.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 28.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.8%, 3.6× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.6% | 15.4% | 21.6% | 5 |
| 2000s | 27.0% | 24.5% | 30.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.4% | 23.6% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.6% | 22.6% | 29.6% | 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 28.0% 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 30.9% in 2015.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.4% in 1995.
- How does Iceland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Iceland ranks 5th out of 105 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 0.8%. 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, 25-54 years old, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release