Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Iceland
Iceland: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.59 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.59 births per woman
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
138th
of 215 countries
All-time high
3.09 births per woman
in 1972
All-time low
1.59 births per woman
in 2022
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in Iceland, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate, total in Iceland stood at 1.59 births per woman.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Iceland peaked at 3.09 births per woman in 1972 and was at its lowest, 1.59 births per woman, in 2022.
That places Iceland 138th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Iceland, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.81 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 2.92 births per woman | +3.9% |
| 1972 | 3.09 births per woman | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 2.94 births per woman | -4.9% |
| 1974 | 2.66 births per woman | -9.5% |
| 1975 | 2.65 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 2.52 births per woman | -4.9% |
| 1977 | 2.31 births per woman | -8.3% |
| 1978 | 2.35 births per woman | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 2.49 births per woman | +6.0% |
| 1980 | 2.48 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 2.33 births per woman | -6.0% |
| 1982 | 2.27 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1983 | 2.24 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 2.08 births per woman | -7.1% |
| 1985 | 1.93 births per woman | -7.2% |
| 1986 | 1.92 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 2.06 births per woman | +7.3% |
| 1988 | 2.26 births per woman | +9.7% |
| 1989 | 2.19 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 2.3 births per woman | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 2.18 births per woman | -5.2% |
| 1992 | 2.21 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 2.22 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 2.14 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.08 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 2.12 births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 2.04 births per woman | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 2.05 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 1.99 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 2.08 births per woman | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 1.95 births per woman | -6.3% |
| 2002 | 1.93 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 1.99 births per woman | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 2.04 births per woman | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 2.05 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 2.08 births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 2.09 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 2.15 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 2.23 births per woman | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 2.2 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 2.02 births per woman | -8.2% |
| 2012 | 2.04 births per woman | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.93 births per woman | -5.4% |
| 2014 | 1.93 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.8 births per woman | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 1.74 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 1.71 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 1.71 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.74 births per woman | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 1.72 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 1.82 births per woman | +5.8% |
| 2022 | 1.59 births per woman | -12.7% |
| 2023 | 1.59 births per woman | +0.1% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 1.59 births per woman is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.49 births per woman, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 1.59 births per woman is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.49 births per woman, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.67 births per woman | 2.31 births per woman | 3.09 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.18 births per woman | 1.92 births per woman | 2.48 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.13 births per woman | 1.99 births per woman | 2.3 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.06 births per woman | 1.93 births per woman | 2.23 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.88 births per woman | 1.71 births per woman | 2.2 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.68 births per woman | 1.59 births per woman | 1.82 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 135 United States 1.62 births per woman compare
- 136 Serbia 1.61 births per woman compare
- 137 Aruba 1.6 births per woman compare
- 139 Antigua and Barbuda 1.58 births per woman compare
- 140 Maldives 1.57 births per woman compare
- 141 United Kingdom 1.56 births per woman compare
- 141 New Zealand 1.56 births per woman compare
More population data for Iceland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -5.08 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.2688 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 408.78 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4806 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6617 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.502 (2100)
- Population density 3.6 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 13,661 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Iceland?
- Fertility rate, total in Iceland was 1.59 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.09 births per woman in 1972.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.59 births per woman in 2022.
- How does Iceland rank for fertility rate, total?
- Iceland ranks 138th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release