Primary education, pupils in Iceland
Iceland: Primary education, pupils was 32,314 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
32,314
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
174th
of 206 countries
All-time high
33,023
in 2021
All-time low
24,560
in 1987
Years of data
53
1971–2023
Primary education, pupils in Iceland, 1971–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2023, primary education, pupils in Iceland stood at 32,314.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Iceland peaked at 33,023 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 24,560, in 1987.
Iceland ranks 174th of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Primary education, pupils in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 27,066 | — |
| 1972 | 27,336 | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 27,217 | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 27,046 | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 26,922 | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 26,418 | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 25,924 | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 25,138 | -3.0% |
| 1979 | 24,687 | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 24,599 | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 24,736 | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 24,809 | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 25,018 | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 25,280 | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 25,058 | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 24,603 | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 24,560 | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 25,108 | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 25,420 | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 25,525 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 29,816 | +16.8% |
| 1992 | 29,649 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 29,351 | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 28,960 | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 29,138 | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 29,221 | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 29,342 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 29,705 | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 30,355 | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 31,282 | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 31,786 | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 31,465 | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 31,470 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 30,984 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 30,785 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 30,421 | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 30,084 | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 29,945 | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 29,860 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 29,568 | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 29,432 | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 29,387 | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 29,578 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 29,892 | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 30,422 | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 31,194 | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 31,981 | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 32,421 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 32,811 | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 32,832 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 33,023 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 32,697 | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 32,314 | -1.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 32,314 is below the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 14% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 32,314 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 432,238, 7% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26,417 | 24,687 | 27,336 | 9 |
| 1980s | 24,919 | 24,560 | 25,420 | 10 |
| 1990s | 29,106 | 25,525 | 30,355 | 10 |
| 2000s | 30,808 | 29,860 | 31,786 | 10 |
| 2010s | 30,669 | 29,387 | 32,811 | 10 |
| 2020s | 32,716 | 32,314 | 33,023 | 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 primary education, pupils in Iceland?
- Primary education, pupils in Iceland was 32,314 in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 33,023 in 2021.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 24,560 in 1987.
- How does Iceland rank for primary education, pupils?
- Iceland ranks 174th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.