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 17.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
17.9%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
5th
of 51 countries
All-time high
20.2%
in 2012
All-time low
7.1%
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 17.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland peaked at 20.2% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 1995.
That places Iceland 5th out of 51 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 | 7.1% | — |
| 1996 | 7.2% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 8.4% | +17.3% |
| 1998 | 9.8% | +17.1% |
| 1999 | 12.7% | +28.7% |
| 2000 | 18.1% | +42.5% |
| 2001 | 13.6% | -24.4% |
| 2002 | 15.3% | +12.0% |
| 2003 | 18.6% | +21.7% |
| 2004 | 16.2% | -12.8% |
| 2005 | 16.6% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | +8.9% |
| 2007 | 17.3% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 16.4% | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 15.5% | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 16.1% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 19.2% | +19.0% |
| 2012 | 20.2% | +5.3% |
| 2013 | 18.5% | -8.3% |
| 2014 | 17.9% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 18.1% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 16.5% | -9.2% |
| 2017 | 14.2% | -13.5% |
| 2018 | 13.9% | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 15.2% | +9.7% |
| 2020 | 11.8% | -22.5% |
| 2021 | 15.3% | +29.8% |
| 2022 | 17.7% | +15.4% |
| 2023 | 17.9% | +1.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 17.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.0%, 2.5× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 17.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.6%, 5.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.0% | 7.1% | 12.7% | 5 |
| 2000s | 16.6% | 13.6% | 18.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.0% | 13.9% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.7% | 11.8% | 17.9% | 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 17.9% 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 20.2% in 2012.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 1995.
- How does Iceland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Iceland ranks 5th out of 51 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 3.5%. 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, 55-64 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