Statistical information Iceland 2019

Iceland in the World
top of pageBackground: 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, 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 Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. The economy is now on an upward trajectory, fueled primarily by a tourism and construction boom. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.
top of pageLocation: Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom
Geographic coordinates: 65 00 N, 18 00 W
Map reference:
Arctic RegionAreaTotal: 103,000 km²
Land: 100,250 km²
Water: 2,750 km²
Rank: 109
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; about the same size as Kentucky
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 4,970 km
Maritime claimsTerritorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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
ElevationMean elevation: 557 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Hvannadalshnukur (at Vatnajokull Glacier) 2,110 m
Natural resources: fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
Land useAgricultural land: 18.7% (2011 est.)
arable land: 1.2% (2011 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.)
permanent pasture: 17.5% (2011 est.)
Forest: 0.3% (2011 est.)
Other: 81% (2011 est.)
Irrigated landNote: NA
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: earthquakes and volcanic activity
volcanism: Iceland, situated on top of a hotspot, 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 in the very near future, potentially disrupting air traffic; 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
GeographyNote: strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe
top of pagePopulationDistribution: 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: 343,518 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 178
Growth rate: 1.08% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 103
Below poverty line note: NA
Below poverty line: note: 332,100 families (2011 est.)
NationalityNoun: Icelander(s)
Adjective: Icelandic
Ethnic groups:
homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 81%, population with foreign background 19% (2018 est.)
note: population with foreign background includes immigrants and persons having at least one parent who was born abroad
Languages: Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland (official) 67.2%, Roman Catholic 3.9%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.8%, Hafnarfjordur Free Church 2%, Asatru Association 1.2%, The Independent Congregation .9%, other religions 4% (includes Zuist and Pentecostal), none 6.7%, other or unspecified 11.3% (2018 est.)
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 20.4% (male 35,812 /female 34,249)
15-24 years: 13.22% (male 22,952 /female 22,444)
25-54 years: 39.76% (male 69,177 /female 67,401)
55-64 years: 11.87% (male 20,350 /female 20,426)
65 years and over: 14.76% (male 23,822 /female 26,885) (2018 est.)
Dependency ratiosTotal dependency ratio: 51.6 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 30.8 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 20.8 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 4.8 (2015 est.)
Median ageTotal: 36.7 years (2018 est.)
Male: 36.1 years
Female: 37.3 years
Rank: 73
Population growth rate: 1.08% (2018 est.)
Rank: 103
Birth rate: 13.6 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 140
Death rate: 6.5 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 142
Net migration rate: 3.7 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 36
Population distribution: 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
UrbanizationUrban population: 93.9% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.81% annual rate of change
Major urban areasPopulation: 216,000 REYKJAVIK (capital) (2018)
EnvironmentCurrent issues: water pollution from fertilizer runoff
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birth: 27.4 years (2015 est.)
Maternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rateTotal: 2.1 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 2.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 2 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 221
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 83.1 years (2018 est.)
Male: 80.9 years
Female: 85.5 years
Rank: 7
Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 120
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceUrban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Current health expenditure: 8.3% (2016)
Physicians density: 3.97 physicians/1000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density: 3.4 beds/1000 population (2015)
Sanitation facility accessUrban: 1.3% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 1.2% of population (2015 est.)
Hiv/AidsAdult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2018)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 124
People living with hivaids note: <500 (2018)
Deaths note: <100 (2018)
Major infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rate: 21.9% (2016)
Rank: 83
Alcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expenditures: 7.5% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 8
LiteracySchool life expectancy primary to tertiary educationTotal: 19 years
Male: 18 years
Female: 20 years (2016)
Youth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Iceland
Conventional short form: Iceland
Local long form: Lydveldid Island
Local short form: Island
Etymology: Floki VILGERDARSON, an early explorer of the island (9th century), applied the name Land of Ice after spotting a fjord full of drift ice to the north and spending a bitter winter on the island; he eventually settled on the island, however, after he saw how it greened up in the summer and that it was, in fact, habitable
Government type: unitary parliamentary republic
CapitalName: ReykjavikGeographic 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
Administrative divisions: 74 municipalities (sveitarfelog, singular - sveitarfelagidh); Akrahreppur, Akraneskaupstadhur, Akureyrarkaupstadhur, Arneshreppur, Asahreppur, Blaskogabyggdh, Blonduosbaer, Bolungarvikurkaupstadhur, Borgarbyggdh, Borgarfjardharhreppur, Breidhdalshreppur, Dalabyggdh, Dalvikurbyggdh, Djupavogshreppur, Eyjafjardharsveit, Eyja-og Miklaholtshreppur, Fjallabyggdh, Fjardhabyggdh, Fljotsdalsheradh, Fljotsdalshreppur, Floahreppur, Gardhabaer, Grimsnes-og Grafningshreppur, Grindavikurbaer, Grundarfjardharbaer, Grytubakkahreppur, Hafnarfjardharkaupstadhur, Helgafellssveit, Horgarsveit, Hrunamannahreppur, Hunathing Vestra, Hunavatnshreppur, Hvalfjardharsveit, Hveragerdhisbaer, Isafjardharbaer, Kaldrananeshreppur, Kjosarhreppur, Kopavogsbaer, Langanesbyggdh, Mosfellsbaer, Myrdalshreppur, Nordhurthing, Rangarthing Eystra, Rangarthing Ytra, Reykholahreppur, Reykjanesbaer, Reykjavikurborg, Sandgerdhisbaer, Seltjarnarnesbaer, Seydhisfjardharkaupstadhur, Skaftarhreppur, Skagabyggdh, Skeidha-og Gnupverjahreppur, Skorradalshreppur, Skutustadhahreppur, Snaefellsbaer, Strandabyggdh, Stykkisholmsbaer, Sudhavikurhreppur, Svalbardhshreppur, Svalbardhsstrandarhreppur, Sveitarfelagidh Arborg, Sveitarfelagidh Gardhur, Sveitarfelagidh Hornafjordhur, Sveitarfelagidh Olfus, Sveitarfelagidh Skagafjordhur, Sveitarfelagidh Skagastrond, Sveitarfelagidh Vogar, Talknafjardharhreppur, Thingeyjarsveit, Tjorneshreppur, Vestmannaeyjabaer, Vesturbyggdh, Vopnafjardharhreppur
Dependent areasIndependence: 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 holiday: Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
ConstitutionHistory: several previous; latest ratified 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 (at independence)
Amendments: proposed by the Althingi; passage requires approval by the Althingi and by the next elected Althingi, and confirmation by the president of the republic; proposed amendments to Article 62 of the constitution - that the Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the state church of Iceland - also require passage by referendum; amended many times, last in 2013 (2016)
Legal system: civil law system influenced by the Danish model
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
CitizenshipCitizenship 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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (since 1 August 2016)
Head of government: Prime Minister Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR (since 30 November 2017)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 25 June 2016 (next to be held in June 2020); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition becomes prime minister
Election results: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON elected president; percent of vote - Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON 39.1%, Halla TOMASDOTTIR 27.9%, Andri Snaer MAGNASON 14.3%, David ODDSSON 13.7%, Sturla JONSSON 3.5%, invalid 1.5%
Legislative branchDescription: unicameral Althingi or Parliament (63 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 28 October 2017 (next to be held in 2021)
Election results: percent of vote by party - IP 25.2%, LGM 16.9%, SDA 12.1%, CP 10.9%, PP 10.7%, Pirate Party 9.2%, Peoples Party 6.9%, Reform Party 6.7%. other 1.5%; seats by party - IP 16, LGM 11, SDA 7, CP 7, PP 8, Pirate Party 6, Reform Party 4, Peoples Party 4
Judicial branchHighest courts: Supreme Court or Haestirettur (consists of 9 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: judges proposed by Ministry of Interior selection committee and appointed by the president; judges appointed for an indefinite period
Subordinate courts: Appellate Court or Landsrettur; 8 district courts; Labor Court
Political parties and leaders: Centrist Party (Midflokkurinn) or CP [Sigmundur David GUNNLAUGSSON]Independence Party (Sjalfstaedisflokkurinn) or IP [Bjarni BENEDIKTSSON]Left-Green Movement (Vinstrihreyfingin-graent frambod) or LGM [Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR]People's Party (Flokkur Folksins) [Inga SAELAND]Pirate Party (Piratar) [rotating leadership]Progressive Party (Framsoknarflokkurinn) or PP [Sigurdur Ingi JOHANNSSON]Reform Party (Vidreisn) [Thorgerdur Katrin GUNNARSDOTTIR]Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) or SDA [Logi Mar EINARSSON]
International organization participation: Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chancery: House of Sweden, 2,900 K Street NW, #509, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-6,653
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 265-6,656
In the us consulate: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey Ross GUNTER (since 2 July 2019)
From the us telephone: [354] 595-2,200
From the us embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik
From the us mailing address: US Department of State, 5,640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20,521-5,640
From the us FAX: [354] 562-9,118
Flag description: blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors represent three of the elements that make up the island: red is for the island's volcanic fires, white recalls the snow and ice fields of the island, and blue is for the surrounding ocean
National symbols: gyrfalcon; national colors: blue, white, red
National anthemName: Lofsongur (Song of Praise)
Lyricsmusic: Matthias JOCHUMSSON/Sveinbjorn SVEINBJORNSSON:
note: adopted 1944; also known as 'O, Gud vors lands' (O, God of Our Land), the anthem was originally written and performed in 1874
National heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Iceland's economy combines a capitalist structure and free-market principles with an extensive welfare system. Except for a brief period during the 2008 crisis, Iceland has in recent years achieved high growth, low unemployment, and a remarkably even distribution of income. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, particularly within the fields of tourism, software production, and biotechnology. Abundant geothermal and hydropower sources have attracted substantial foreign investment in the aluminum sector, boosted economic growth, and sparked some interest from high-tech firms looking to establish data centers using cheap green energy.Tourism, aluminum smelting, and fishing are the pillars of the economy. For decades the Icelandic economy depended heavily on fisheries, but tourism has now surpassed fishing and aluminum as Iceland’s main export industry. Tourism accounted for 8.6% of Iceland’s GDP in 2016, and 39% of total exports of merchandise and services. From 2010 to 2017, the number of tourists visiting Iceland increased by nearly 400%. Since 2010, tourism has become a main driver of Icelandic economic growth, with the number of tourists reaching 4.5 times the Icelandic population in 2016. Iceland remains sensitive to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports, and to fluctuations in the exchange rate of the Icelandic Krona.Following the privatization of the banking sector in the early 2000s, domestic banks expanded aggressively in foreign markets, and consumers and businesses borrowed heavily in foreign currencies. Worsening global financial conditions throughout 2008 resulted in a sharp depreciation of the krona vis-a-vis other major currencies. The foreign exposure of Icelandic banks, whose loans and other assets totaled nearly nine times the country's GDP, became unsustainable. Iceland's three largest banks collapsed in late 2008. GDP fell 6.8% in 2009, and unemployment peaked at 9.4% in February 2009. Three new banks were established to take over the domestic assets of the collapsed banks. Two of them have majority ownership by the state, which intends to re-privatize them.Since the collapse of Iceland's financial sector, government economic priorities have included stabilizing the krona, implementing capital controls, reducing Iceland's high budget deficit, containing inflation, addressing high household debt, restructuring the financial sector, and diversifying the economy. Capital controls were lifted in March 2017, but some financial protections, such as reserve requirements for specified investments connected to new inflows of foreign currency, remain in place.
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$18.18 billion (2017 est.)
$17.48 billion (2016 est.)
$16.29 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 153
Real gdp growth rate:
4% (2017 est.)
7.4% (2016 est.)
4.5% (2015 est.)
Rank: 77
Real gdp per capita:
$52,200 (2017 est.)
$51,700 (2016 est.)
$48,900 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 25
Gross national saving:
25.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
29.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
24.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 52
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useHousehold consumption: 50.4% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 23.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 47% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -42.8% (2017 est.)
Gdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 5.8% (2017 est.)
Industry: 19.7% (2017 est.)
Services: 74.6% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: potatoes, carrots, green vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers; mutton, chicken, pork, beef, dairy products; fish
Industries: tourism, fish processing; aluminum smelting;; geothermal power, hydropower; medical/pharmaceutical products
Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (2017 est.)
Rank: 120
Labor force: 198,700 (2017 est.)
Rank: 172
By occupation agriculture: 4.8%
By occupation industry: 22.2%
By occupation services: 73% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
2.8% (2017 est.)
3% (2016 est.)
Rank: 30
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineNote: NA:
note: 332,100 families (2011 est.)
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini index:
28 (2006)
25 (2005)
Rank: 142
BudgetRevenues: 10.39 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 10.02 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 22
Taxes and other revenues: 42.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 31
Public debt:
40% of GDP (2017 est.)
51.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
Rank: 126
RevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices:
1.8% (2017 est.)
1.7% (2016 est.)
Rank: 93
Central bank discount rate:
5.4% (31 January 2012)
5.75% (31 December 2010)
Rank: 77
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.26% (31 December 2017 est.)
8.24% (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 116
Stock of narrow money:
$4.945 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$4.251 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 106
Stock of broad money:
$4.945 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$4.251 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 110
Stock of domestic credit:
$24.51 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$21.18 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 86
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$2.825 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
$2.021 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
$1.996 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 94
Current account balance:
$857 million (2017 est.)
$1.556 billion (2016 est.)
Rank: 52
Exports:
$4.957 billion (2017 est.)
$4.483 billion (2016 est.)
Rank: 109
Partners: Netherlands 25.5%, Spain 13.6%, UK 9.4%, Germany 7.6%, US 7%, France 6.3%, Norway 4.9%
Commodities: fish and fish products (42%), aluminum (38%), agricultural products, medicinal and medical products, ferro-silicon (2015)
Imports:
$6.525 billion (2017 est.)
$5.315 billion (2016 est.)
Rank: 119
Commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles
Partners: Germany 10.7%, Norway 9.2%, China 7%, Netherlands 6.7%, US 6.4%, Denmark 6.2%, UK 5.7%, Sweden 4.1%
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.567 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$7.226 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 89
Debt external:
$21.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$25.02 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 91
Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
$6.666 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$13.89 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 101
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
$11.24 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$17.64 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 63
Exchange rates:
111.7 (2017 est.)
120.81 (2016 est.)
120.81 (2015 est.)
131.92 (2014 est.)
116.77 (2013 est.)
top of pageElectricityAccess electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 18.17 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 80
Consumption: 17.68 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 73
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 148
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 160
Installed generating capacity: 2.772 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 100
Generation sources fossil fuels: 4% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 206
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 109
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 71% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 16
Generation sources other renewable sources: 25% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 29
CoalPetroleumPetroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 151
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 139
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 143
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 147
Crude oilRefined petroleumProducts production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 159
Products consumption: 20,850 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products consumption rank: 139
Products exports: 2,530 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports rank: 101
Products imports: 20,220 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports rank: 120
Natural gasProduction: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 148
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 160
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 123
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 140
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 149
Carbon dioxide emissionsFrom consumption of energy: 3.228 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 144
Energy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesFixed lines total subscriptions: 146,213
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 129
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 410,662
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 121 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 174
Telephone systemGeneral assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is modern and fully digitized, with satellite-earth stations, fiber-optic cables, and an extensive broadband network; LTE licenses providing 99% population coverage (2018)
Domestic: liberalization of the telecommunications sector beginning in the late 1990s has led to increased competition especially in the mobile services segment of the market; 43 per 100 for fixed line and 121 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2018)
International: country code - 354; the CANTAT-3, FARICE-1, Greenland Connect and DANICE submarine cable system provides connectivity to Canada, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, UK, Denmark, and Germany; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) (2019)
Broadcast media: state-owned public TV broadcaster (RUV) operates 21 TV channels nationally (RUV and RUV 2, though RUV 2 is used less frequently); RUV broadcasts nationally, every household in Iceland is required to have RUV as it doubles as the emergency broadcast network; RUV also operates stringer offices in the north (Akureyri) and the east (Egilsstadir) but operations are all run out of RUV headquarters in Reykjavik; there are 3 privately owned TV stations; Stod 2 (Channel 2) is owned by Syn, following 365 Media and Vodafone merger, and is headquartered in Reykjavik; Syn also operates 4 sports channels under Stod 2; N4 is the only television station headquartered outside of Reykjavik, in Akureyri, with local programming for the north, south, and east of Iceland; Hringbraut is the newest station and is headquartered in Reykjavik; all of these television stations have nationwide penetration as 100% of households have multi-channel services though digital and/or fiber-optic connections (2019)
InternetCountry code: .is
Users total: 329,967
Users percent of population: 98.2% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 156
Broadband fixed subscriptionsTotal: 133,574
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39 (2017 est.)
Rank: 116
top of pageMilitary expenditures:
0.3% of GDP (2018)
0.3% of GDP (2017)
0.3% of GDP (2016)
0.3% of GDP (2015)
0.5% of GDP (2014)
Rank: 154
Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Icelandic Coast Guard; Icelandic National Police (2019)
Military service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemNumber of registered air carriers: 5 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 43 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,413,950 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 102,356,809
Note: mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TF (2016)
Airports: 96 (2013)
Rank: 59
With paved runways total: 7 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 89 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 26 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 60 (2013)
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysTotal: 12,898 km (2012)
Pavedoiled gravel: 5,647 km
Note: (excludes urban roads) (2012)
Unpaved: 7,251 km (2012)
Rank: 126
WaterwaysMerchant marineTotal: 33
By type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 27 (2018)
Rank: 122
Ports and terminalsMajor seaport: Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Reykjavik
Iceland - Transnational issues 2019
top of pageDisputes international: Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; the European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority filed a suit against Iceland, claiming the country violated the Agreement on the European Economic Area in failing to pay minimum compensation to Icesave depositors
Refugees and internally displaced personsStateless persons: 69 (2018)
Illicit drugs