Rural population in Iceland
Iceland: Rural population was 5.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Iceland, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 5.9% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Iceland peaked at 15.1% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2024.
That places Iceland 196th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 15.1% | — |
| 1971 | 14.7% | -2.4% |
| 1972 | 14.4% | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 14.0% | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 13.7% | -2.5% |
| 1975 | 13.3% | -2.5% |
| 1976 | 13.0% | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 12.7% | -2.5% |
| 1978 | 12.4% | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 12.0% | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 11.7% | -2.5% |
| 1981 | 11.5% | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 11.2% | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 10.9% | -2.3% |
| 1984 | 10.7% | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 10.4% | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 10.2% | -2.4% |
| 1987 | 9.9% | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 9.7% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 9.5% | -2.4% |
| 1990 | 9.2% | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 9.1% | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 8.9% | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 8.7% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 8.5% | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 8.4% | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 8.2% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 8.0% | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 7.9% | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 7.7% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 7.6% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 7.5% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 7.3% | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 7.2% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 7.1% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 7.0% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 6.8% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 6.7% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 6.6% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 6.5% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 6.4% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 6.4% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 6.4% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 6.4% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 6.3% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 6.3% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 6.3% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 6.2% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 6.2% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 6.1% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 6.1% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 6.1% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 6.0% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 6.0% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 5.9% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.5% | 12.0% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.6% | 9.5% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.5% | 7.7% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.0% | 6.5% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.3% | 6.1% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.0% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 193 Israel 7.1% compare
- 194 Netherlands 6.5% compare
- 195 Puerto Rico 6.3% compare
- 197 Turks and Caicos Islands 5.6% compare
- 198 Malta 5.0% compare
- 199 Guam 4.8% compare
More population data for Iceland
- 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)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.502 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.4806 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate 0.6452 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Iceland?
- Rural population in Iceland was 5.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 15.1% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2024.
- How does Iceland rank for rural population?
- Iceland ranks 196th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. 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 Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release