Iceland

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 136,556 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (2018 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned public TV broadcaster (RUV) operates 21 TV channels nationally (RUV and RUV 2, though RUV 2 is used less frequently); RUV broadcasts nationally, every household in Iceland is required to have RUV as it doubles as the emergency broadcast network; RUV also operates stringer offices in the north (Akureyri) and the east (Egilsstadir) but operations are all run out of RUV headquarters in Reykjavik; there are 3 privately owned TV stations; Stod 2 (Channel 2) is owned by Syn, following 365 Media and Vodafone merger, and is headquartered in Reykjavik; Syn also operates 4 sports channels under Stod 2; N4 is the only television station headquartered outside of Reykjavik, in Akureyri, with local programming for the north, south, and east of Iceland; Hringbraut is the newest station and is headquartered in Reykjavik; all of these television stations have nationwide penetration as 100% of households have multi-channel services though digital and/or fiber-optic connections RUV operates 3 radio stations (RAS 1, RAS2, and Rondo) as well as 4 regional stations (but they mostly act as range extenders for RUV radio broadcasts nationwide); there is 1 privately owned radio conglomerate, Syn (4 stations), that broadcasts nationwide, and 3 other radio stations that broadcast to the most densely populated regions of the country. In addition there are upwards of 20 radio stations that operate regionally (2019)

Internet country code

.is

Internet users

total: 340,117 | percent of population: 99.01% (July 2018 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is modern and fully digitized, with satellite-earth stations, fiber-optic cables, and an extensive broadband network; LTE licenses providing 99% population coverage; small but most progressive telecom market in Europe; good competition among mobile and broadband markets (2020) | domestic: liberalization of the telecommunications sector beginning in the late 1990s has led to increased competition especially in the mobile services segment of the market; 37 per 100 for fixed line and 122 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2019) | international: country code - 354; landing points for the CANTAT-3, FARICE-1, Greenland Connect and DANICE submarine cable system that provides connectivity to Canada, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, UK, Denmark, and Germany; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) (2019) | note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 128,597 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37.04 (2019 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 423,390 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 121.95 (2019 est.)

Agriculture - products

potatoes, carrots, green vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers; mutton, chicken, pork, beef, dairy products; fish

Budget

revenues: 10.39 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 10.02 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating: A (2017) | Moody's rating: A2 (2019) | Standard & Poors rating: A (2017)

Current account balance

$1.496 billion (2019 est.) | $814 million (2018 est.)

Debt - external

$21.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $25.02 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Ease of Doing Business Index scores

79.0 (2020)

Economic overview

Iceland's economy combines a capitalist structure and free-market principles with an extensive welfare system. Except for a brief period during the 2008 crisis, Iceland has in recent years achieved high growth, low unemployment, and a remarkably even distribution of income. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, particularly within the fields of tourism, software production, and biotechnology. Abundant geothermal and hydropower sources have attracted substantial foreign investment in the aluminum sector, boosted economic growth, and sparked some interest from high-tech firms looking to establish data centers using cheap green energy. Tourism, aluminum smelting, and fishing are the pillars of the economy. For decades the Icelandic economy depended heavily on fisheries, but tourism has now surpassed fishing and aluminum as Iceland’s main export industry. Tourism accounted for 8.6% of Iceland’s GDP in 2016, and 39% of total exports of merchandise and services. From 2010 to 2017, the number of tourists visiting Iceland increased by nearly 400%. Since 2010, tourism has become a main driver of Icelandic economic growth, with the number of tourists reaching 4.5 times the Icelandic population in 2016. Iceland remains sensitive to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports, and to fluctuations in the exchange rate of the Icelandic Krona. Following the privatization of the banking sector in the early 2000s, domestic banks expanded aggressively in foreign markets, and consumers and businesses borrowed heavily in foreign currencies. Worsening global financial conditions throughout 2008 resulted in a sharp depreciation of the krona vis-a-vis other major currencies. The foreign exposure of Icelandic banks, whose loans and other assets totaled nearly nine times the country's GDP, became unsustainable. Iceland's three largest banks collapsed in late 2008. GDP fell 6.8% in 2009, and unemployment peaked at 9.4% in February 2009. Three new banks were established to take over the domestic assets of the collapsed banks. Two of them have majority ownership by the state, which intends to re-privatize them. Since the collapse of Iceland's financial sector, government economic priorities have included stabilizing the krona, implementing capital controls, reducing Iceland's high budget deficit, containing inflation, addressing high household debt, restructuring the financial sector, and diversifying the economy. Capital controls were lifted in March 2017, but some financial protections, such as reserve requirements for specified investments connected to new inflows of foreign currency, remain in place.

Exchange rates

Icelandic kronur (ISK) per US dollar - | 127.05 (2020 est.) | 121.68 (2019 est.) | 121.86 (2018 est.) | 131.92 (2014 est.) | 116.77 (2013 est.)

Exports

$10.415 billion (2019 est.) | $10.923 billion (2018 est.) | $10.742 billion (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish and fish products (42%), aluminum (38%), agricultural products, medicinal and medical products, ferro-silicon (2015)

Exports - partners

Netherlands 25.5%, Spain 13.6%, UK 9.4%, Germany 7.6%, US 7%, France 6.3%, Norway 4.9% (2017)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$24.614 billion (2019 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity) - real

$17.071 billion (2019 est.) | $16.748 billion (2018 est.) | $16.018 billion (2017 est.) | note: data are in 2010 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 50.4% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 23.3% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 22.1% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 47% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -42.8% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 5.8% (2017 est.) | industry: 19.7% (2017 est.) | services: 74.6% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$54,696 (2019 est.) | $54,033 (2018 est.) | $52,036 (2017 est.) | note: data are in 2010 dollars

GDP real growth rate

1.94% (2019 est.) | 3.88% (2018 est.) | 4.57% (2017 est.)

Gross national saving

25.8% of GDP (2017 est.) | 29.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | 24.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

Imports

$9.399 billion (2019 est.) | $10.364 billion (2018 est.) | $10.314 billion (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners

Germany 10.7%, Norway 9.2%, China 7%, Netherlands 6.7%, US 6.4%, Denmark 6.2%, UK 5.7%, Sweden 4.1% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate

2.4% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, fish processing; aluminum smelting;; geothermal power, hydropower; medical/pharmaceutical products

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (2019 est.) | 2.6% (2018 est.) | 1.7% (2017 est.)

Labor force

200,000 (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 4.8% | industry: 22.2% | services: 73% (2008)

Population below poverty line

NA | note: 332,100 families (2011 est.)

Public debt

40% of GDP (2017 est.) | 51.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$6.567 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $7.226 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

42.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.62% (2019 est.) | 2.73% (2018 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.228 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

17.68 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

4% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

71% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

25% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.772 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

18.17 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

20,850 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

2,530 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

20,220 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Area

total: 103,000 sq km | land: 100,250 sq km | water: 2,750 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; about the same size as Kentucky | Area comparison map: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Europe :: Iceland Print Image Description slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; about the same size as Kentucky

Climate

temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers

Coastline

4,970 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 557 m | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Hvannadalshnukur (at Vatnajokull Glacier) 2,110 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution from fertilizer runoff

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates

65 00 N, 18 00 W

Geography - note

strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 18.7% (2011 est.) | arable land: 1.2% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 17.5% (2011 est.) | forest: 0.3% (2011 est.) | other: 81% (2011 est.)

Location

Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom

Map references

Arctic Region

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

earthquakes and volcanic activity volcanism: Iceland, situated on top of a hotspot, experiences severe volcanic activity; Eyjafjallajokull (1,666 m) erupted in 2010, sending ash high into the atmosphere and seriously disrupting European air traffic; scientists continue to monitor nearby Katla (1,512 m), which has a high probability of eruption in the very near future, potentially disrupting air traffic; Grimsvoetn and Hekla are Iceland's most active volcanoes; other historically active volcanoes include Askja, Bardarbunga, Brennisteinsfjoll, Esjufjoll, Hengill, Krafla, Krisuvik, Kverkfjoll, Oraefajokull, Reykjanes, Torfajokull, and Vestmannaeyjar

Natural resources

fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite

Population distribution

Iceland is almost entirely urban with half of the population located in and around the capital of Reykjavik; smaller clusters are primarily found along the coast in the north and west

Terrain

mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords

Administrative divisions

72 municipalities (sveitarfelog, singular - sveitarfelagidh); Akrahreppur, Akraneskaupstadhur, Akureyrarkaupstadhur, Arneshreppur, Asahreppur, Blaskogabyggdh, Blonduosbaer, Bolungarvikurkaupstadhur, Borgarbyggdh, Borgarfjardharhreppur, Dalabyggdh, Dalvikurbyggdh, Djupavogshreppur, Eyjafjardharsveit, Eyja-og Miklaholtshreppur, Fjallabyggdh, Fjardhabyggdh, Fljotsdalsheradh, Fljotsdalshreppur, Floahreppur, Gardhabaer, Grimsnes-og Grafningshreppur, Grindavikurbaer, Grundarfjardharbaer, Grytubakkahreppur, Hafnarfjardharkaupstadhur, Helgafellssveit, Horgarsveit, Hrunamannahreppur, Hunathing Vestra, Hunavatnshreppur, Hvalfjardharsveit, Hveragerdhisbaer, Isafjardharbaer, Kaldrananeshreppur, Kjosarhreppur, Kopavogsbaer, Langanesbyggdh, Mosfellsbaer, Myrdalshreppur, Nordhurthing, Rangarthing Eystra, Rangarthing Ytra, Reykholahreppur, Reykjanesbaer, Reykjavikurborg, Seltjarnarnesbaer, Seydhisfjardharkaupstadhur, Skaftarhreppur, Skagabyggdh, Skeidha-og Gnupverjahreppur, Skorradalshreppur, Skutustadhahreppur, Snaefellsbaer, Strandabyggdh, Stykkisholmsbaer, Sudhavikurhreppur, Sudhurnesjabaer, Svalbardhshreppur, Svalbardhsstrandarhreppur, Sveitarfelagidh Arborg, Sveitarfelagidh Hornafjordhur, Sveitarfelagidh Olfus, Sveitarfelagidh Skagafjordhur, Sveitarfelagidh Skagastrond, Sveitarfelagidh Vogar, Talknafjardharhreppur, Thingeyjarsveit, Tjorneshreppur, Vestmannaeyjabaer, Vesturbyggdh, Vopnafjardharhreppur

Capital

name: Reykjavik | geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W | time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | etymology: the name means "smoky bay" in Icelandic and refers to the steamy, smoke-like vapors discharged by hot springs in the area

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Iceland | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 3 to 7 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest ratified 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 (at independence) | amendments: proposed by the Althingi; passage requires approval by the Althingi and by the next elected Althingi, and confirmation by the president of the republic; proposed amendments to Article 62 of the constitution – that the Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the state church of Iceland – also require passage by referendum; amended many times, last in 2013

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Iceland | conventional short form: Iceland | local long form: Lydveldid Island | local short form: Island | etymology: Floki VILGERDARSON, an early explorer of the island (9th century), applied the name "Land of Ice" after spotting a fjord full of drift ice to the north and spending a bitter winter on the island; he eventually settled on the island, however, after he saw how it greened up in the summer and that it was, in fact, habitable

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey Ross GUNTER (since 2 July 2019) | telephone: [354] 595-2200 | embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik | mailing address: US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640 | FAX: [354] 562-9118

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Geir Hilmar HAARDE (since 23 February 2015) | chancery: House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, #509, Washington, DC 20007 | telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653 | FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656 | consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (since 1 August 2016) | head of government: Prime Minister Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR (since 30 November 2017) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the prime minister | elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 27 June 2020 (next to be held in 2024); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition becomes prime minister | election results: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON reelected president; percent of vote - Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 92.2%, Gudmundur Franklin JONSSON (independent) 7.8%

Flag description

blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors represent three of the elements that make up the island: red is for the island's volcanic fires, white recalls the snow and ice fields of the island, and blue is for the surrounding ocean

Government type

unitary parliamentary republic

Independence

1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark; birthday of Jon SIGURDSSON, leader of Iceland's 19th Century independence movement)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court or Haestirettur (consists of 9 judges) | judge selection and term of office: judges proposed by Ministry of Interior selection committee and appointed by the president; judges appointed for an indefinite period | subordinate courts: Appellate Court or Landsrettur; 8 district courts; Labor Court

Legal system

civil law system influenced by the Danish model

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Althingi or Parliament (63 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 28 October 2017 (next to be held in 2021) | election results: percent of vote by party - IP 25.2%, LGM 16.9%, SDA 12.1%, CP 10.9%, PP 10.7%, Pirate Party 9.2%, People's Party 6.9%, Reform Party 6.7%. other 1.5%; seats by party - IP 16, LGM 11, SDA 7, CP 7, PP 8, Pirate Party 6, Reform Party 4, People's Party 4

National anthem

name: "Lofsongur" (Song of Praise) | lyrics/music: Matthias JOCHUMSSON/Sveinbjorn SVEINBJORNSSON | note: adopted 1944; also known as "O, Gud vors lands" (O, God of Our Land), the anthem was originally written and performed in 1874

National holiday

Independence Day, 17 June (1944)

National symbol(s)

gyrfalcon; national colors: blue, white, red

Political parties and leaders

Centrist Party (Midflokkurinn) or CP [Sigmundur David GUNNLAUGSSON] Independence Party (Sjalfstaedisflokkurinn) or IP [Bjarni BENEDIKTSSON] Left-Green Movement (Vinstrihreyfingin-graent frambod) or LGM [Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR] People's Party (Flokkur Folksins) [Inga SAELAND] Pirate Party (Piratar) [rotating leadership] Progressive Party (Framsoknarflokkurinn) or PP [Sigurdur Ingi JOHANNSSON] Reform Party (Vidreisn) [Thorgerdur Katrin GUNNARSDOTTIR] Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) or SDA [Logi Mar EINARSSON]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althingi, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Denmark granted limited home rule in 1874 and complete independence in 1944. The second half of the 20th century saw substantial economic growth driven primarily by the fishing industry. The economy diversified greatly after the country joined the European Economic Area in 1994, but Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. The economy is now on an upward trajectory, fueled primarily by a tourism and construction boom. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.

Military - note

Iceland is the only NATO member that has no standing military force; defense of Iceland remains a NATO commitment and NATO maintains an air policing presence in Icelandic airspace; Iceland participates in international peacekeeping missions with the civilian-manned Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (ICRU) (2019)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Icelandic Coast Guard; Icelandic National Police (2019)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Icelandic Coast Guard has approximately 250 personnel (2019 est.)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Icelandic Coast Guard's inventory consists of equipment from European suppliers (2019 est.)

Military expenditures

0.3% of GDP (2018) | 0.3% of GDP (2017) | 0.3% of GDP (2016) | 0.3% of GDP (2015) | 0.5% of GDP (2014)

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.31% (male 36,394/female 34,837) | 15-24 years: 12.85% (male 22,748/female 22,317) | 25-54 years: 39.44% (male 70,227/female 68,095) | 55-64 years: 11.94% (male 20,762/female 21,111) | 65 years and over: 15.47% (male 25,546/female 28,697) (2020 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Europe :: Iceland Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Iceland. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

13.3 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

8.3% (2017)

Death rate

6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 54 | youth dependency ratio: 29.9 | elderly dependency ratio: 24.1 | potential support ratio: 4.2 (2020 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | unimproved: urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditures

7.7% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic groups

homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 81%, population with foreign background 19% (2018 est.) | note : population with foreign background includes immigrants and persons having at least one parent who was born abroad

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2018)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<100 (2018)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

<500 (2018)

Hospital bed density

3.1 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

total: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 2.3 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 2 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

Languages

Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 83.3 years | male: 81 years | female: 85.6 years (2020 est.)

Major urban areas - population

216,000 REYKJAVIK (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality rate

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

total: 37.1 years | male: 36.6 years | female: 37.7 years (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.8 years (2017 est.)

Nationality

noun: Icelander(s) | adjective: Icelandic

Net migration rate

3.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.9% (2016)

Physicians density

3.98 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

350,734 (July 2020 est.)

Population distribution

Iceland is almost entirely urban with half of the population located in and around the capital of Reykjavik; smaller clusters are primarily found along the coast in the north and west

Population growth rate

1.02% (2020 est.)

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland (official) 67.2%, Roman Catholic 3.9%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.8%, Hafnarfjordur Free Church 2%, Asatru Association 1.2%, The Independent Congregation .9%, other religions 4% (includes Zuist and Pentecostal), none 6.7%, other or unspecified 11.3% (2018 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | unimproved: urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 19 years | male: 18 years | female: 20 years (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female | total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.97 children born/woman (2020 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 6.1% | male: 6.5% | female: 5.6% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 93.9% of total population (2020) | rate of urbanization: 0.81% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) | total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030: PDF

Disputes - international

Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; the European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority filed a suit against Iceland, claiming the country violated the Agreement on the European Economic Area in failing to pay minimum compensation to Icesave depositors

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 48 (2019)

Airports

96 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 7 (2017) | over 3,047 m: 1 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 89 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 26 (2013) | under 914 m: 60 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TF (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 37 | by type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 2, other 30 (2019)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 63 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 7,819,740 (2018) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 163.65 million mt-km (2018)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Reykjavik

Roadways

total: 12,898 km (2012) | paved/oiled gravel: 5,647 km (excludes urban roads) (2012) | unpaved: 7,251 km (2012)