Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Iceland

Iceland: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 16.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
16.2%
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
7th
of 124 countries
All-time high
17.5%
in 2021
All-time low
8.8%
in 2004
Years of data
18
1999–2023

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Iceland, 1999–2023

051015201999201120231999: 10.2 %2000: 9.1 %2001: 9.1 %2002: 9.2 %2003: 9.3 %2004: 8.8 %2005: 9.6 %2006: 9.8 %2007: 11.4 %2008: 12.1 %2009: 12.3 %2010: 10.8 %2018: 15.5 %2019: 16.3 %2020: 15.7 %2021: 17.5 %2022: 16.6 %2023: 16.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Iceland recorded 16.2% for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and up 49.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Iceland peaked at 17.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 2004.

Iceland ranks 7th of 124 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Social Sciences, Journalism and Information programmes, both sexes (%) in Iceland, 1999 to 2023.
Year % Change
1999 10.2%
2000 9.1% -11.1%
2001 9.1% +1.1%
2002 9.2% +1.1%
2003 9.3% +0.1%
2004 8.8% -5.3%
2005 9.6% +9.4%
2006 9.8% +1.9%
2007 11.4% +17.1%
2008 12.1% +5.9%
2009 12.3% +1.2%
2010 10.8% -11.9%
2018 15.5% +43.5%
2019 16.3% +5.2%
2020 15.7% -4.1%
2021 17.5% +12.0%
2022 16.6% -5.5%
2023 16.2% -2.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 10.2% 10.2% 10.2% 1
2000s 10.1% 8.8% 12.3% 10
2010s 14.2% 10.8% 16.3% 3
2020s 16.5% 15.7% 17.5% 4

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 4 Samoa 17.1% compare
  2. 5 Algeria 16.7% compare
  3. 6 Nepal 16.6% compare
  4. 8 Greece 16.1% compare
  5. 9 Italy 15.5% compare
  6. 10 Netherlands 15.3% compare

See the full ranking of 124 places →

More education data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Iceland?
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Iceland was 16.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 17.5% in 2021.
What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 2004.
How does Iceland rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
Iceland ranks 7th out of 124 countries with data for 2023.
Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 49.7%. 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 Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Social Sciences, Journalism and Information programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-graduates-from-tertiary-education-graduating-from-social-sciences-2/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Social Sciences, Journalism and Information programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
124 places, 1,751 data points, 1998–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release