Daten & Fakten - Island

Capital

Island

name: Reykjavik

geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the name means "smoky bay" in Icelandic and refers to the steamy, smoke-like vapors discharged by hot springs in the area

Citizenship

Island

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Iceland

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 3 to 7 years

Legal system

Island

civil law system influenced by the Danish model

Suffrage

Island

18 years of age; universal

Area

Island

total: 103,000 sq km

land: 100,250 sq km

water: 2,750 sq km

Land use

Island

agricultural land: 18.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 17.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.3% (2018 est.)

other: 81% (2018 est.)

Location

Island

Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom

Age structure

Island

0-14 years: 19.98% (male 36,771/female 35,314)

15-64 years: 63.39% (male 115,547/female 113,212)

65 years and over: 16.63% (2023 est.) (male 28,410/female 31,618)

Birth rate

Island

12.8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Island

6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Island

Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German

Life expectancy at birth

Island

total population: 83.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 81.6 years

female: 86.2 years

Major urban areas - population

Island

216,000 REYKJAVIK (capital) (2018)

Median age

Island

total: 37.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 37.2 years

female: 38.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Island

28.7 years (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

Island

2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Island

Iceland is almost entirely urban with half of the population located in and around the capital of Reykjavik; smaller clusters are primarily found along the coast in the north and west

Population growth rate

Island

0.89% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Island

1.95 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Island

urban population: 94% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.74% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Island

7.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Island

total: 19 years

male: 18 years

female: 21 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Island

1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Island

5.65% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Island

200,300 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Island

8.8% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Island

5.4% (2021 est.)

5.48% (2020 est.)

3.51% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Island

100.02% of GDP (2020 est.)

89.59% of GDP (2019 est.)

81.95% of GDP (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Island

4.44% (2021 est.)

2.85% (2020 est.)

3.01% (2019 est.)

Exports

Island

$9.775 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$7.501 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$11.005 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Island

Netherlands 24%, Spain 10%, Germany 10%, United Kingdom 9%, United States 7% (2021)

Imports

Island

$10.234 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$7.616 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$9.891 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Island

Norway 11%, Denmark 10%, Netherlands 9%, Germany 9%, China 7% (2021)

Airports

Island

96 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Island

total: 141,816 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Island

total: 370,000 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 100% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Island

total: 12,898 km (2012)

paved/oiled gravel: 5,647 km (2012) (excludes urban roads)

unpaved: 7,251 km (2012)

Telephones - fixed lines

Island

total subscriptions: 100,482 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Island

total subscriptions: 437,270 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Island

in 2019, Denmark signed continental shelf delimitation agreements with Iceland and Norway to parts of the continental shelf in the Ægir Basin, which is located north of the Faroe Islands