Identity
Name origin: Floki VILGERDARSON, an early Norse explorer of the island in the 10th century, applied the name "Land of Ice," from the local words ís (ice) and land (land).
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Iceland
EuropeGlobal Leader
Among all countries, Iceland stands 1st in human development index. Can you guess its other standout statistics?
Among all countries, Iceland stands 1st in human development index. This achievement puts it ahead of the vast majority of countries. Can you guess its other standout statistics?
65.0, -18.0 - Europe
Area
103K km²
Pop.
364.0K
Stats
178
Reality brief
Iceland is a country in Europe with a population of 364.0K and an area of 103,000 km². Life expectancy is 82.6 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Human Development Index
0.97#1globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Internet Users (%)
100%#5globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Life Satisfaction
8.1 pts#2globally
Average self-reported life satisfaction on a 0-10 scale, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$81,924.41#13globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
GDP Per Capita
$65,645.09#21globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
82.7 years#25globally
Average number of years a newborn would be expected to live if current mortality patterns stayed the same, from Our World in Data.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Iceland
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Curated stat
Iceland sits on the active geologic boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates.
Geography
Size snapshot: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Iceland
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Employment Rate (%)
87.61% of adults 25-64#1globallyTop stat
Share of adults aged 25-64 who are employed, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Renewable Energy (%)
80.5%#1globallyTop stat
Share of final energy consumption supplied by renewable energy, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
High-Tech Exports (%)
53.97%#7globallyTop stat
High-tech products (like computers, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace) as a percentage of total manufactured exports.
Women in Parliament (%)
46.03%#10globallyTop stat
The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
Education Spending (% GDP)
7.3% of GDP#12globallyTop stat
Government education spending as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Keeps air pollution (pm2.5) unusually low
#1995.1 µg/m³Air Pollution (PM2.5)
The average level of fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) that people are exposed to.
Only ranks #211 in population density
#2113.8 /km²Population Density
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Only ranks #167 in armed forces personnel
#1670Armed Forces Personnel
Total armed forces personnel from the World Bank latest available country value.
Keeps infant mortality unusually low
#1881.9 per 1k birthsInfant Mortality
Infant deaths before age 1 per 1,000 live births, from World Bank Open Data.
Only ranks #129 in foreign patents
#1292.0Foreign Patents
How many patent applications are filed by non-residents each year.
Compared with the region
How Iceland Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Iceland
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $81,924.41
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Iceland$81,924.41
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+157% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 82.6 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Iceland82.6 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+12% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.97
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
Iceland0.97
Europe0.89
World0.74
+31% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 100%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Iceland100%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+42% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Iceland
Country briefing
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, which was established in 930.
Read the full Factbook note
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, which was 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 the global financial crisis hit Iceland especially hard in the years after 2008. The economy is now on an upward trajectory, primarily thanks to a tourism and construction boom. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom
- Climate
- temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
- Terrain
- mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
- Natural Resources
- fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
- Natural Hazards
- earthquakes and volcanic activity volcanism: Iceland is situated on top of a hotspot and 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; 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
- Size Comparison
- slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; about the same size as Kentucky
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Icelandic, English, Polish, Nordic languages, German
- Religions
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland (official) 58.6% Roman Catholic 3.8%, Independent Congregation of Reykjavik 2.6%, Independent Congregation of Hafnarfjordur 1.9%, pagan worship 1.5%, Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association 1.4%, other (includes Zuist and Pentecostal) or unspecified 18.7%, none 7.7% (2024 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Icelandic 78.7%, Polish 5.8%, Danish 1%, Ukrainian 1%, other 13.5% (2024 est.)
- Major Cities
- 216,000 REYKJAVIK (capital) (2018)
Government & History9 facts
- Government Type
- unitary parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Reykjavik
- Capital Coordinates
- 64 09 N, 21 57 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- Floki VILGERDARSON, an early Norse explorer of the island in the 10th century, applied the name "Land of Ice," from the local words ís (ice) and land (land)
- 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)
- National Symbols
- gyrfalcon
- National Anthem
- "Lofsongur" (Song of Praise)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 3 (1 cultural, 2 natural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- high-income North Atlantic island economy; not an EU member but market integration via European Economic Area (EEA); dominant tourism, fishing, and aluminum industries vulnerable to demand swings and disruption from volcanic activity; inflation remains above target rate; barriers to foreign business access and economic diversification
- Industries
- tourism, fish processing; aluminum smelting; geothermal power, hydropower; medical/pharmaceutical products
- Agricultural Products
- milk, chicken, lamb/mutton, barley, potatoes, pork, beef, eggs, other meats, cucumbers/gherkins (2023)
- Export Partners
- Netherlands 27%, Germany 11%, USA 10%, UK 8%, Norway 6% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- aluminum, fish, orthopedic appliances, animal meal, iron alloys (2023)
- Import Partners
- Norway 11%, China 9%, Germany 9%, Netherlands 8%, USA 7% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, cars, carbon-based electronics, aluminum oxide, computers (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense3 facts
- Military Forces
- no regular military forces; the Icelandic National Police, the regional police forces, and the Icelandic Coast Guard fall under the purview of the Ministry of Justice (2025)
- Energy Mix
- hydroelectricity: 70.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); geothermal: 29.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- state-owned public TV broadcaster (RUV) operates 21 TV channels nationally; every household is required to have RUV, which doubles as the emergency broadcast network; 3 privately owned TV stations; 100% of households have multi-channel services though digital and/or fiber-optic connections; RUV operates 3 national and 4 regional radio stations; 1 privately owned radio conglomerate, Syn (4 stations), broadcasts nationwide; over 20 regional radio stations (2019)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Wealth & Economy13 statsBest: #1
Employment Rate (%)
High-Tech Exports (%)
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
GDP Per Capita
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Government Debt (% GDP)
Inflation Rate
GDP (Nominal)
Gender Pay Gap (%)
Youth Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
Long-Term Unemployment
GDP Growth Rate
Education & Future7 statsBest: #1
Environment9 statsBest: #1
Renewable Energy (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Electricity Access (%)
Protected Land (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
Forest Area
Irrigated Land
0.50 km²#182
Forest Coverage (%)
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Society & Equality5 statsBest: #2
Technology3 statsBest: #5
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #15
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #21
Life Expectancy
Doctors (per 1,000)
Health Spending (% GDP)
Suicide Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Obesity Rate
Smoking Rate
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Demographics12 statsBest: #23
Urban Population (%)
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Land Area
Fertility Rate
Death Rate
Birth Rate
Youth Population (%)
Dependency Ratio
Population
Teen Birth Rate
Population Density
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #27
Coastline Length
5.0K km#27
Lowest Elevation
0 m#112
Highest Elevation
2.1K m#117
Land Border Length
0 km#194
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #66
Airports
Merchant Fleet Size
39#127
Energy1 statsBest: #109
Electric Generating Capacity
3.00M kW#109
Military & Defense1 statsBest: #167
Armed Forces Personnel
Keep exploring
Related Countries
Compare Iceland vs neighbors
Open the head-to-head pages people naturally search after reading this profile.
Where Iceland leads
Jump straight to the rankings where this country has its strongest edge.
Neighboring Countries
Countries with Similar GDP
More Europe Countries
Share a country stat
Turn Iceland's strongest number into a challenge card.
Iceland
#1 in Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Top 5% globally
0.97
Frequently Asked Questions about Iceland
What is the population of Iceland?
Iceland has a population of 364.0K, ranking #176 globally by population.
What continent is Iceland in?
Iceland is located in Europe. It has an area of 103,000 km².
What is the life expectancy in Iceland?
Life expectancy in Iceland is 82.6 years, ranking #27 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Iceland?
Iceland's GDP per capita (PPP) is $81,924.41, ranking #13 globally.
What is Iceland known for in global statistics?
Iceland ranks particularly high in Human Development Index (#1), Internet Users (%) (#5), Life Satisfaction (#2).
What is Iceland's Human Development Index?
Iceland has an HDI of 0.972, ranking #1 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Iceland?
Iceland has a population density of 3.8 people per km², ranking #211 globally.