School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Iceland
Iceland: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 6.87 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
6.87 years
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
33rd
of 218 countries
All-time high
7 years
in 1996
All-time low
5.93 years
in 1971
Years of data
53
1971–2023
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iceland, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iceland stood at 6.87 years.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iceland peaked at 7 years in 1996 and was at its lowest, 5.93 years, in 1971.
That places Iceland 33rd out of 218 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Iceland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5.93 years | — |
| 1972 | 5.96 years | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 5.94 years | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 5.94 years | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 5.94 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 5.94 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 5.98 years | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 5.98 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 5.99 years | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 5.98 years | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 5.97 years | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 5.97 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 5.98 years | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 5.96 years | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 5.97 years | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 5.97 years | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 5.96 years | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 5.96 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 5.98 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 5.98 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 6.96 years | +16.3% |
| 1992 | 6.95 years | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 6.99 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 6.97 years | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 6.97 years | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 7 years | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 6.95 years | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 6.93 years | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 6.92 years | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 6.94 years | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 6.95 years | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 6.92 years | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 6.93 years | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 6.94 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6.94 years | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 6.92 years | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 6.9 years | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 6.89 years | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 6.89 years | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 6.92 years | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 6.91 years | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 6.92 years | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 6.92 years | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 6.91 years | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 6.91 years | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 6.93 years | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 6.92 years | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 6.92 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6.92 years | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 6.9 years | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 6.9 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 6.89 years | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 6.87 years | -0.3% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 6.87 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.86 years, 1.2× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 6.87 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.14 years, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.95 years | 5.93 years | 5.99 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 5.97 years | 5.96 years | 5.98 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.86 years | 5.98 years | 7 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.92 years | 6.89 years | 6.95 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.92 years | 6.91 years | 6.93 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.89 years | 6.87 years | 6.9 years | 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 school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iceland?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iceland was 6.87 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 7 years in 1996.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.93 years in 1971.
- How does Iceland rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Iceland ranks 33rd out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. 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 School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release