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 32.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
32.7%
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
5th
of 110 countries
All-time high
36.8%
in 2012
All-time low
21.6%
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
The most recent figure for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland is 32.7%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland peaked at 36.8% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 21.6%, in 1995.
Iceland ranks 5th of 110 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 | 21.6% | — |
| 1996 | 24.9% | +14.9% |
| 1997 | 26.7% | +7.4% |
| 1998 | 28.5% | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 28.7% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 31.8% | +10.8% |
| 2001 | 31.3% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 32.1% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 33.4% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 32.0% | -4.3% |
| 2005 | 33.6% | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 35.3% | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 34.8% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 32.5% | -6.8% |
| 2009 | 33.4% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 34.1% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 34.9% | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 36.8% | +5.4% |
| 2013 | 34.7% | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 34.8% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 36.3% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 32.2% | -11.3% |
| 2017 | 31.1% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 28.9% | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 30.0% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 29.0% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 32.4% | +11.5% |
| 2022 | 34.0% | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 32.7% | -3.8% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 32.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 17.9%, 1.8× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 32.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.7%, 2.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26.1% | 21.6% | 28.7% | 5 |
| 2000s | 33.0% | 31.3% | 35.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.4% | 28.9% | 36.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.0% | 29.0% | 34.0% | 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 32.7% 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 36.8% 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 21.6% in 1995.
- How does Iceland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Iceland ranks 5th 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 5.7%. 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, 15-64 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