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 33.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
33.2%
Change on year
down 8.2%
World rank
4th
of 103 countries
All-time high
36.3%
in 2006
All-time low
17.0%
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 33.2%.
The figure is down 8.2% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland peaked at 36.3% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 17.0%, in 1995.
Iceland ranks 4th of 103 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 | 17.0% | — |
| 1996 | 18.1% | +6.1% |
| 1997 | 20.0% | +10.7% |
| 1998 | 23.2% | +15.8% |
| 1999 | 23.4% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 28.1% | +19.7% |
| 2001 | 30.5% | +8.7% |
| 2002 | 29.6% | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 32.1% | +8.2% |
| 2004 | 31.3% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 32.3% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 36.3% | +12.3% |
| 2007 | 34.7% | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 33.1% | -4.5% |
| 2009 | 33.0% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 32.2% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 31.5% | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 34.5% | +9.5% |
| 2013 | 31.8% | -7.6% |
| 2014 | 32.8% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 35.5% | +8.1% |
| 2016 | 30.9% | -12.8% |
| 2017 | 29.9% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 27.6% | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 27.8% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 27.2% | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 32.1% | +17.8% |
| 2022 | 36.2% | +12.8% |
| 2023 | 33.2% | -8.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 33.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.5%, 3.5× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 33.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.4%, 3.9× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.3% | 17.0% | 23.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | 32.1% | 28.1% | 36.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.5% | 27.6% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.2% | 27.2% | 36.2% | 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 33.2% 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 36.3% in 2006.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.0% in 1995.
- How does Iceland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Iceland ranks 4th out of 103 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 up 4.3%. 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, female (%). 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