Share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in in Iceland

Iceland: Share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in was 52.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
52.9%
Change on year
up 4.0%
World rank
12th
of 83 countries
All-time high
56.1%
in 2021
All-time low
39.7%
in 2017
Years of data
8
2016–2023

Share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in in Iceland, 2016–2023

02040602016201920232016: 42.4 %2017: 39.7 %2018: 40.1 %2019: 46.6 %2020: 47.2 %2021: 56.1 %2022: 50.9 %2023: 52.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in in Iceland stood at 52.9%.

That represents a change of up 4.0% on the previous year and up 24.7% over ten years.

That places Iceland 12th out of 83 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

Share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in general programmes, both sexes (%) in Iceland, 2016 to 2023.
Year % Change
2016 42.4%
2017 39.7% -6.4%
2018 40.1% +1.1%
2019 46.6% +16.2%
2020 47.2% +1.3%
2021 56.1% +18.8%
2022 50.9% -9.4%
2023 52.9% +4.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 42.2% 39.7% 46.6% 4
2020s 51.8% 47.2% 56.1% 4

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 9 Oman 68.7% compare
  2. 10 Malta 64.5% compare
  3. 11 Malaysia 61.9% compare
  4. 13 Madagascar 46.0% compare
  5. 14 United Kingdom 44.7% compare
  6. 15 Iran 39.9% compare

See the full ranking of 83 places →

More education data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in in Iceland?
Share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in in Iceland was 52.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 56.1% in 2021.
What is the lowest share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 39.7% in 2017.
How does Iceland rank for share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in?
Iceland ranks 12th out of 83 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.7%. 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 Share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in general programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-all-students-in-short-cycle-tertiary-education-enrolled-in-general-programmes/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of all students in short-cycle tertiary education enrolled in general programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
83 places, 625 data points, 2011–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release