Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Iceland
Iceland: Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education was 12.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Iceland, 1986–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Iceland is 12.4%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Iceland peaked at 21.7% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 11.3%, in 2019.
That places Iceland 52nd out of 181 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 21.7% | — |
| 1998 | 15.7% | -27.6% |
| 1999 | 14.9% | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 14.8% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 16.0% | +8.5% |
| 2002 | 16.6% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 16.7% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 16.6% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 16.5% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 14.0% | -9.9% |
| 2008 | 13.6% | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 13.9% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 15.1% | +9.1% |
| 2011 | 14.9% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 15.2% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | -9.1% |
| 2014 | 13.8% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 13.9% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 13.3% | -4.7% |
| 2017 | 12.3% | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 11.7% | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 11.3% | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 11.6% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 13.1% | +12.7% |
| 2022 | 12.8% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 12.4% | -3.3% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 12.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 12.0%, 1.0× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 12.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 19.2%, 64% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 21.7% | 21.7% | 21.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 15.3% | 14.9% | 15.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 15.4% | 13.6% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.5% | 11.3% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 11.6% | 13.1% | 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 proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Iceland?
- Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Iceland was 12.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 21.7% in 1986.
- What is the lowest proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.3% in 2019.
- How does Iceland rank for proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education?
- Iceland ranks 52nd out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. 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 Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release