Iceland: Primary education, pupils

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Iceland's primary education, pupils fell 1.2% on 2022 (from 32,697 to 32,314).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.3% and a typical year strayed about 1.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 16.8% in 1991 and the biggest yearly fall was 3% in 1978. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 301.88 a year. A straight line explains 70% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Iceland had the 40th highest value of the 44 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Iceland in the 2023 ranking

• North Macedonia — 37th of 44: 105,461
• Djibouti — 38th of 44: 69,705
• Montenegro — 39th of 44: 38,834
• Malta — 41st of 44: 27,337
• Antigua and Barbuda — 42nd of 44: 8,720
• St. Kitts and Nevis — 43rd of 44: 5,110

What this measures

Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 53 values

Primary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Albania — 141,089 (2024)
• Andorra — 4,218 (2024)
• Armenia — 160,885 (2024)
• Austria — 368,502 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 603,966 (2024)
• Belarus — 444,044 (2024)
• Belgium — 814,388 (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 141,518 (2023)
• Bulgaria — 234,521 (2024)
• Croatia — 147,483 (2023)
• Cyprus — 60,596 (2024)
• Czechia

More education data for Iceland

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 98.22% (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 76.52% (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 37,056 (2023)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 108.91% (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.52 (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Iceland's primary education, pupils?

32,314 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 19.39% from 27,066 in 1971 (0.34% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 33,023 in 2021 and the lowest 24,560 in 1987.

How does Iceland rank?

40th highest of 44 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in primary education, pupils unusual for Iceland?

In 2023, Iceland's primary education, pupils fell 1.2% on 2022 (from 32,697 to 32,314). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.3% and a typical year strayed about 1.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.ENRL, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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