Iceland's unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) was 6.55% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 0.41 percentage points from 6.96% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 6.55% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 5.72% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 6.96% | 2014 |
| Highest | 10.51% | 2010 |
| Lowest | 2.86% | 2001 |
| Average since 2015 | 6.46% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 2.94% | 1999 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Iceland's unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) fell 0.17 percentage points on 2023 (from 6.73% to 6.55%).
Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2023), the average change was +0.16 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.7 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.63 percentage points in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.67 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 28% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2024, Iceland had the 38th highest value of the 63 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Iceland | 6.55% | 2024 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 10.75% | 2024 |
| High income | 9.59% | 2024 |
Closest to Iceland in the 2024 ranking
- Germany — 35th of 63: 6.9%
- Panama — 36th of 63: 6.79%
- Russian Federation — 37th of 63: 6.64%
- Netherlands — 39th of 63: 6.12%
- Mongolia — 40th of 63: 5.75%
- Cyprus — 41st of 63: 5.66%
What this measures
The percentage of the labor force with a basic level of education who are unemployed. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 26 values
| Year | Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 6.55 |
| 2023 | 6.73 |
| 2022 | 7.29 |
| 2021 | 9.96 |
| 2020 | 8.39 |
| 2019 | 5.72 |
| 2018 | 4.53 |
| 2017 | 4.75 |
| 2016 | 4.53 |
| 2015 | 6.15 |
| 2014 |
Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) in nearby economies
- Albania — 7.58% (2024)
- Armenia — 10.27% (2023)
- Austria — 13.58% (2025)
- Azerbaijan — 12.31% (2022)
- Belarus — 7.74% (2024)
- Belgium — 11.72% (2024)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 14.3% (2024)
- Bulgaria — 13.69% (2024)
More social protection & labor data for Iceland
- Net migration — 2,709 (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 75.62% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 71.97% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) — 91% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 79.09% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate) — 83.98% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (national estimate) — 81.49% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Iceland's unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education)?
- 6.55% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1999?
- It is up 3.62 percentage points from 2.94% in 1999. The highest value was 10.51% in 2010 and the lowest 2.86% in 2001.
- How does Iceland rank?
- 38th highest of 63 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) unusual for Iceland?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.BASC.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: March 30, 2026 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.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
Legal entity
Devansh Yadav
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Governing law: Courts at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Phone: +91 8433475698
Legal: legal@analyzeit.in