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 23.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
23.5%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
5th
of 104 countries
All-time high
26.3%
in 2015
All-time low
13.8%
in 1995
Years of data
29
1995–2023
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland, 1995–2023
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 23.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland peaked at 26.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 1995.
Iceland ranks 5th of 104 countries on this measure, 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 | 13.8% | — |
| 1996 | 16.4% | +19.2% |
| 1997 | 16.0% | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 18.9% | +17.9% |
| 1999 | 19.9% | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 21.1% | +6.0% |
| 2001 | 20.4% | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 21.9% | +7.6% |
| 2003 | 24.3% | +10.8% |
| 2004 | 19.8% | -18.3% |
| 2005 | 22.9% | +15.4% |
| 2006 | 24.1% | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 23.9% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 21.0% | -12.1% |
| 2009 | 21.9% | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 23.2% | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 24.8% | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 25.7% | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 24.7% | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 24.6% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 26.3% | +7.2% |
| 2016 | 23.3% | -11.6% |
| 2017 | 22.5% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 20.0% | -11.3% |
| 2019 | 20.5% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 18.4% | -10.1% |
| 2021 | 20.8% | +13.0% |
| 2022 | 23.6% | +13.7% |
| 2023 | 23.5% | -0.7% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 23.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 2.7× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 23.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.2%, 3.8× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.0% | 13.8% | 19.9% | 5 |
| 2000s | 22.1% | 19.8% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.6% | 20.0% | 26.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.6% | 18.4% | 23.6% | 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 23.5% 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 26.3% 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 13.8% in 1995.
- How does Iceland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Iceland ranks 5th out of 104 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 5.1%. 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, male (%). 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