What is human rights index in Iceland?

Human rights index in Iceland was 0.95 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest human rights index recorded in Iceland?

The highest recorded value was 0.962 in 1996.

What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Iceland?

The lowest recorded value was 0.893 in 1900.

How does Iceland rank for human rights index?

Iceland ranks 6th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is human rights index rising or falling in Iceland?

Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Iceland data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Human Rights Index in Iceland

Name: Human Rights Index in Iceland
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Iceland: Human Rights Index was 0.95 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.95

Change on year

down 0.3%

World rank

6th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.962

in 1996

All-time low

0.893

in 1900

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Human Rights Index in Iceland, 1900–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Iceland recorded 0.95 for human rights index in 2025.

The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, human rights index in Iceland peaked at 0.962 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.893, in 1900.

That places Iceland 6th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Human Rights Index in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Human Rights Index in Iceland, 1900 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1900	0.893	—
1901	0.893	+0.0%
1902	0.893	+0.0%
1903	0.893	+0.0%
1904	0.893	+0.0%
1905	0.893	+0.0%
1906	0.893	+0.0%
1907	0.893	+0.0%
1908	0.893	+0.0%
1909	0.893	+0.0%
1910	0.893	+0.0%
1911	0.893	+0.0%
1912	0.893	+0.0%
1913	0.893	+0.0%
1914	0.893	+0.0%
1915	0.893	+0.0%
1916	0.906	+1.5%
1917	0.906	+0.0%
1918	0.906	+0.0%
1919	0.911	+0.6%
1920	0.909	-0.2%
1921	0.909	+0.0%
1922	0.909	+0.0%
1923	0.913	+0.4%
1924	0.913	+0.0%
1925	0.913	+0.0%
1926	0.913	+0.0%
1927	0.913	+0.0%
1928	0.913	+0.0%
1929	0.913	+0.0%
1930	0.907	-0.7%
1931	0.907	+0.0%
1932	0.907	+0.0%
1933	0.907	+0.0%
1934	0.907	+0.0%
1935	0.907	+0.0%
1936	0.907	+0.0%
1937	0.907	+0.0%
1938	0.907	+0.0%
1939	0.907	+0.0%
1940	0.899	-0.9%
1941	0.899	+0.0%
1942	0.899	+0.0%
1943	0.899	+0.0%
1944	0.922	+2.6%
1945	0.922	+0.0%
1946	0.925	+0.3%
1947	0.925	+0.0%
1948	0.925	+0.0%
1949	0.925	+0.0%
1950	0.928	+0.3%
1951	0.928	+0.0%
1952	0.928	+0.0%
1953	0.928	+0.0%
1954	0.928	+0.0%
1955	0.928	+0.0%
1956	0.928	+0.0%
1957	0.928	+0.0%
1958	0.928	+0.0%
1959	0.928	+0.0%
1960	0.928	+0.0%
1961	0.931	+0.3%
1962	0.931	+0.0%
1963	0.931	+0.0%
1964	0.931	+0.0%
1965	0.931	+0.0%
1966	0.932	+0.1%
1967	0.932	+0.0%
1968	0.932	+0.0%
1969	0.932	+0.0%
1970	0.932	+0.0%
1971	0.932	+0.0%
1972	0.932	+0.0%
1973	0.932	+0.0%
1974	0.932	+0.0%
1975	0.932	+0.0%
1976	0.932	+0.0%
1977	0.932	+0.0%
1978	0.936	+0.4%
1979	0.936	+0.0%
1980	0.947	+1.2%
1981	0.947	+0.0%
1982	0.947	+0.0%
1983	0.947	+0.0%
1984	0.947	+0.0%
1985	0.947	+0.0%
1986	0.95	+0.3%
1987	0.952	+0.2%
1988	0.952	+0.0%
1989	0.952	+0.0%
1990	0.96	+0.8%
1991	0.96	+0.0%
1992	0.96	+0.0%
1993	0.96	+0.0%
1994	0.96	+0.0%
1995	0.96	+0.0%
1996	0.962	+0.2%
1997	0.962	+0.0%
1998	0.962	+0.0%
1999	0.962	+0.0%
2000	0.962	+0.0%
2001	0.962	+0.0%
2002	0.962	+0.0%
2003	0.962	+0.0%
2004	0.962	+0.0%
2005	0.962	+0.0%
2006	0.962	+0.0%
2007	0.962	+0.0%
2008	0.96	-0.2%
2009	0.961	+0.1%
2010	0.96	-0.1%
2011	0.96	+0.0%
2012	0.959	-0.1%
2013	0.955	-0.4%
2014	0.953	-0.2%
2015	0.954	+0.1%
2016	0.952	-0.2%
2017	0.96	+0.8%
2018	0.96	+0.0%
2019	0.955	-0.5%
2020	0.958	+0.3%
2021	0.952	-0.6%
2022	0.952	+0.0%
2023	0.953	+0.1%
2024	0.953	+0.0%
2025	0.95	-0.3%

Iceland compared with similar countries

Iceland's 0.95 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.906, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Iceland's 0.95 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8795, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.893	0.893	0.893	10
1910s	0.8987	0.893	0.911	10
1920s	0.9118	0.909	0.913	10
1930s	0.907	0.907	0.907	10
1940s	0.914	0.899	0.925	10
1950s	0.928	0.928	0.928	10
1960s	0.9311	0.928	0.932	10
1970s	0.9328	0.932	0.936	10
1980s	0.9488	0.947	0.952	10
1990s	0.9608	0.96	0.962	10
2000s	0.9617	0.96	0.962	10
2010s	0.9568	0.952	0.96	10
2020s	0.953	0.95	0.958	6

Countries ranked near Iceland

3 Denmark 0.959 compare
4 Ireland 0.956 compare
5 Belgium 0.955 compare
6 Switzerland 0.95 compare
8 Czechia 0.948 compare
8 New Zealand 0.948 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Iceland

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,459 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0216 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is human rights index in Iceland?: Human rights index in Iceland was 0.95 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest human rights index recorded in Iceland?: The highest recorded value was 0.962 in 1996.
What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Iceland?: The lowest recorded value was 0.893 in 1900.
How does Iceland rank for human rights index?: Iceland ranks 6th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is human rights index rising or falling in Iceland?: Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Human Rights Index in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/human-rights-index-vdem/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator: Human Rights Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,202 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.