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 71.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
71.3%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
25th
of 110 countries
All-time high
77.3%
in 2021
All-time low
52.3%
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 71.3%.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Iceland peaked at 77.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 52.3%, in 1995.
That places Iceland 25th out of 110 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
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 | 52.3% | — |
| 1996 | 62.2% | +19.0% |
| 1997 | 63.3% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 62.9% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 59.2% | -6.0% |
| 2000 | 62.2% | +5.1% |
| 2001 | 64.8% | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 66.9% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 61.7% | -7.8% |
| 2004 | 63.9% | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 71.0% | +11.0% |
| 2006 | 68.7% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 71.0% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 65.1% | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 69.9% | +7.3% |
| 2010 | 72.7% | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 72.8% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 76.3% | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 71.2% | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 71.6% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 75.4% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 68.0% | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 69.6% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 67.2% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 72.4% | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 72.8% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 77.3% | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 72.1% | -6.6% |
| 2023 | 71.3% | -1.1% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 71.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 72.6%, 98% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 71.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 73.4%, 97% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.0% | 52.3% | 63.3% | 5 |
| 2000s | 66.5% | 61.7% | 71.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.7% | 67.2% | 76.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.4% | 71.3% | 77.3% | 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 71.3% 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 77.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.3% in 1995.
- How does Iceland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Iceland ranks 25th 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 up 0.1%. 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, 15-24 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