Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Iceland
Iceland: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 94.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
94.2%
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
30th
of 236 countries
All-time high
94.2%
in 2025
All-time low
71.9%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Iceland, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Iceland stood at 94.2%. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Iceland peaked at 94.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 71.9%, in 1950.
That places Iceland 30th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 71.9% | — |
| 1951 | 74.4% | +3.4% |
| 1952 | 74.8% | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 75.7% | +1.1% |
| 1954 | 76.5% | +1.2% |
| 1955 | 77.0% | +0.6% |
| 1956 | 77.4% | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 77.9% | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 78.7% | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 79.7% | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 80.4% | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 81.0% | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 81.5% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 82.0% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 82.7% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 83.2% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 83.5% | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 83.9% | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 84.4% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 84.8% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 85.0% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 85.3% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 85.7% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 86.2% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 86.5% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 86.9% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 87.2% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 87.4% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 87.7% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 87.9% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 88.1% | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 88.3% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 88.6% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 88.9% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 89.1% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 89.3% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 89.6% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 89.8% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 90.1% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 90.4% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 90.6% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 90.9% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 91.1% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 91.3% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 91.4% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 91.6% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 91.8% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 92.0% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 91.7% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 91.8% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 92.0% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 92.0% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 92.2% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 92.3% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 92.4% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 92.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 92.2% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 92.4% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 93.1% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 93.4% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 93.5% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 93.4% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 93.5% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 93.6% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 93.6% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 93.7% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 93.8% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 93.8% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 93.9% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 94.0% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 94.1% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 94.2% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 94.2% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 94.2% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 94.2% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 94.2% | +0.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 94.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 1.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 94.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.6%, 1.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 76.4% | 71.9% | 79.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 82.7% | 80.4% | 84.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 86.6% | 85.0% | 87.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 89.2% | 88.1% | 90.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 91.4% | 90.6% | 92.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 92.4% | 92.0% | 93.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 93.7% | 93.4% | 94.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.2% | 94.1% | 94.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More population data for Iceland
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.2688 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 13,661 people (2100)
- Population density 3.6 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6617 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4806 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Iceland?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Iceland was 94.2% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 94.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.9% in 1950.
- How does Iceland rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Iceland ranks 30th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.