Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 in Iceland
Iceland: Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 was 3.62 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG in Iceland, 1991–2025
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iceland stood at 3.62.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iceland peaked at 7.56 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1.87, in 2001.
That places Iceland 54th out of 69 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.55 | — |
| 1992 | 4.3 | +69.0% |
| 1993 | 5.26 | +22.1% |
| 1994 | 5.33 | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 5.2 | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 3.6 | -30.7% |
| 1997 | 3.72 | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 3.07 | -17.5% |
| 1999 | 2.18 | -29.0% |
| 2000 | 1.94 | -11.1% |
| 2001 | 1.87 | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 2.99 | +59.4% |
| 2003 | 4 | +33.8% |
| 2004 | 4.03 | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 2.55 | -36.8% |
| 2006 | 2.83 | +11.1% |
| 2007 | 2.25 | -20.5% |
| 2008 | 2.95 | +30.9% |
| 2009 | 7.22 | +145.1% |
| 2010 | 7.56 | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 7.03 | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 6 | -14.6% |
| 2013 | 5.38 | -10.4% |
| 2014 | 4.9 | -8.9% |
| 2015 | 3.98 | -18.7% |
| 2016 | 2.98 | -25.2% |
| 2017 | 2.74 | -7.9% |
| 2018 | 2.7 | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 3.51 | +29.7% |
| 2020 | 5.48 | +56.2% |
| 2021 | 6.03 | +10.1% |
| 2022 | 3.79 | -37.2% |
| 2023 | 3.52 | -7.2% |
| 2024 | 3.6 | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 3.62 | +0.7% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 3.62 is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.81, 75% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 3.62 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.56, 65% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, modelled: SDG 8.5.2 in Iceland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +145.1% | 2.95 | 7.22 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.91 | 2.18 | 5.33 | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.26 | 1.87 | 7.22 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.68 | 2.7 | 7.56 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.34 | 3.52 | 6.03 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 51 Turkmenistan 4.27 compare
- 52 Netherlands 3.87 compare
- 53 Germany 3.71 compare
- 55 Bulgaria 3.54 compare
- 56 Kyrgyzstan 3.53 compare
- 57 Belarus 3.38 compare
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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iceland?
- Unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg in Iceland was 3.62 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 7.56 in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.87 in 2001.
- How does Iceland rank for unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg?
- Iceland ranks 54th out of 69 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, modelled ilo estimate (% of total labour force) - sdg rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Unemployment, modelled ILO estimate (% of total labour force) - SDG 8.5.2. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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