Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Iceland
Iceland: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 77.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Iceland, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Iceland is 77.8%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Iceland peaked at 95.5% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 77.8%, in 2023.
That places Iceland 71st out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 95.5% | — |
| 1999 | 93.9% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 91.0% | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 89.2% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 87.2% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 86.2% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 86.6% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 85.8% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 80.3% | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 79.4% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 78.9% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 78.5% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 80.3% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 81.2% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 82.2% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 81.3% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 80.0% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 77.9% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 78.3% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 78.2% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 78.6% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 78.8% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 78.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 79.4% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 78.7% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 77.8% | -1.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 77.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 80.5%, 97% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 77.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 82.7%, 94% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 94.7% | 93.9% | 95.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 84.3% | 78.5% | 91.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.7% | 77.9% | 82.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.7% | 77.8% | 79.4% | 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 percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Iceland?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Iceland was 77.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 95.5% in 1998.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.8% in 2023.
- How does Iceland rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Iceland ranks 71st out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release