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Iceland, Jökulsárlón

Photo: Hansueli Krapf · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale

Education & Knowledge

56th

of 198 countries placed

Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics

01The evidence

The 4 key statistics that decide it

Only these place Iceland on education & knowledge — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.

Why these keys
  1. Key 1 of 4

    Out-of-School Rate, Primary

    UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

    Why it is a key

    Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Iceland’s is from 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    1.821

    Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)

    Lower is better

    Iceland: 1.821. Across the 192 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.004 (United Arab Emirates) to 65.6 (Equatorial Guinea); the world median is 3.691.

    World median
    3.691
    Best in Northern Europe
    0.07 United Kingdom
  2. Key 2 of 4

    Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary

    UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

    Why it is a key

    Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Iceland’s is from 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    96.91

    Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)

    Higher is better

    Iceland: 96.91. Across the 187 countries at their latest reading, values run from 3.411 (Yemen) to 100 (United Arab Emirates); the world median is 85.9.

    World median
    85.9
    Best in Northern Europe
    99.56 Lithuania
  3. Key 3 of 4

    Upper Secondary Completion Rate

    UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

    Why it is a key

    2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    66.44

    Upper secondary completion rate (%)

    Higher is better

    Iceland: 66.44. Across the 164 countries in this edition, values run from 2.13 (South Sudan) to 99.27 (South Korea); the world median is 64.87.

    World median
    64.87
    Best in Northern Europe
    95.09 Ireland
  4. Key 4 of 4

    Government Spending on Education

    UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

    Why it is a key

    2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    No reading

    Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)

    Higher is better

    UIS publishes no 2023 figure for Iceland, so the standing rests on the other keys.

    Across the 123 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Somalia) to 16.39 (Kiribati); the world median is 3.709.

    World median
    3.709

03In context

Iceland beside its neighbours

A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on education & knowledge, never a place within the region.

Northern Europe
1st198thNot placed · 26 countries with too few key statisticsNo data

The whole world on education & knowledge

Iceland and Northern Europe

Iceland has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.

CountryStandingOut-of-School Rate, PrimaryOut-of-school rate, primary age (%)Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before PrimaryChildren one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)Upper Secondary Completion RateUpper secondary completion rate (%)Government Spending on EducationGovernment expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Lithuania5th0.1399.5692.31—
United Kingdom6th0.0798.690.29—
Sweden14th0.5798.6589.13—
Ireland23rd1.81395.0395.09—
Finland=31st1.76696.2389.75—
Denmark36th0.89397.0776.72—
Norway37th1.37897.5180.75—
Latvia=41st2.7497.7787.53—
Iceland56th1.82196.9166.44—
Estonia65th3.38892.585.87—
Channel Islandsnot placed————
Faroe Islandsnot placed————
Isle of Mannot placed————

“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is

Placed either side on education & knowledge

The countries immediately above and below Iceland in the topic’s list.

04Context, no vote

Where Iceland is ahead of the world, and behind

28 more statistics filed under education & knowledge, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.

Every country

Ahead of the world median18

Statistics on which Iceland does better than the middle country measured.

  • Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.93313.91▲ Improved since 2013

    Iceland: 13.91 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.

    Position 4th of 193 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Government Funding per Primary StudentUIS · 2022 · world median 17.8125.93▲ Improved since 2012

    Iceland: 25.93 · world median 17.81 · Government funding per primary student (% of GDP per capita). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2022 edition, data for 2022.

    Published values in that edition run from 3.771 to 34.57; higher is better.

    Position 3rd of 68 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2022 dataset

  • Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.3418.85▼ Worsened since 2013

    Iceland: 18.85 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.

    Position 10th of 195 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.285No earlier reading

    Iceland: 0.285 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.

    Position 141st of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.

    Chart and every countryThe 2017 dataset

  • Researchers per Million InhabitantsUIS · 2024 · world median 701.955,953No earlier reading

    Iceland: 5,953 · world median 701.95 · Researchers per million inhabitants (full-time equivalent). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 1.446 to 18,130; higher is better.

    Position 13th of 145 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Lower Secondary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 89.2199.07No real change since 2015

    Iceland: 99.07 · world median 89.21 · Lower secondary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 13.73 to 100; higher is better.

    Position 16th of 164 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Research and Development SpendingUIS · 2023 · world median 0.8142.64▲ Improved since 2013

    Iceland: 2.64 · world median 0.814 · Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.006 to 6.346; higher is better.

    Position 14th of 84 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Bachelor's or Higher AttainmentUIS · 2023 · world median 19.8634.46▼ Worsened since 2014

    Iceland: 34.46 · world median 19.86 · Adults 25+ who completed a bachelor's degree or higher (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 1.135 to 52.72; higher is better.

    Position 15th of 90 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Harmonized Test ScoresWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 414.32497.68▼ Worsened since 2010

    Iceland: 497.68 · world median 414.32 · Harmonized test score (TIMSS-equivalent points; 300 = minimum, 625 = advanced attainment). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.

    Published values in that edition run from 304.92 to 575.27; higher is better.

    Position 31st of 172 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2020 dataset

  • Learning-Adjusted Years of SchoolWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 7.94110.72▲ Improved since 2010

    Iceland: 10.72 · world median 7.941 · Learning-adjusted years of school (0–14). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.

    Published values in that edition run from 2.207 to 12.81; higher is better.

    Position 31st of 172 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2020 dataset

  • Primary Schools with Internet for TeachingUIS · 2024 · world median 98.66100No real change since 2016

    Iceland: 100 · world median 98.66 · Primary schools with internet access for teaching (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Learning PovertyWorld Bank Group and UNESCO Institute for Statistics · 2023 · world median 34.029.323No earlier reading

    Iceland: 9.323 · world median 34.02 · 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand a simple text (%). World Bank Group and UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 2.331 to 98.5; lower is better.

    Position 96th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Upper Secondary AttainmentUIS · 2023 · world median 65.7680.16▲ Improved since 2013

    Iceland: 80.16 · world median 65.76 · Adults 25+ who completed upper secondary or higher (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 5.26 to 97.89; higher is better.

    Position 29th of 95 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Academic Freedom IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6190.756▼ Worsened since 2015

    Iceland: 0.756 · world median 0.619 · Academic freedom index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.019 to 0.978; higher is better.

    Position 64th of 176 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower SecondaryUIS · 2023 · world median 48.965.88No earlier reading

    Iceland: 65.88 · world median 48.9 · Students at the end of lower secondary reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.73 to 91.73; higher is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of PrimaryUIS · 2023 · world median 43.850.71No earlier reading

    Iceland: 50.71 · world median 43.8 · Pupils at the end of primary reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 1.8 to 93.42; higher is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • PISA Mathematics PerformanceOECD · 2022 · world median 442.09458.9▼ Worsened since 2012

    Iceland: 458.9 · world median 442.09 · Mean mathematics score. OECD, 2022 edition, data for 2022.

    Published values in that edition run from 336.4 to 574.66; higher is better.

    Position 37th of 79 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2022 dataset

  • Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower SecondaryUIS · 2022 · world median 58.5960.29No earlier reading

    Iceland: 60.29 · world median 58.59 · Students at the end of lower secondary reaching minimum proficiency in reading (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2022 edition, data for 2022.

    Published values in that edition run from 5.043 to 88.83; higher is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2022 dataset

Behind the world median1

Statistics on which Iceland does worse than the middle country measured.

  • PISA Reading PerformanceOECD · 2022 · world median 440.35435.9▲ Improved since 2012

    Iceland: 435.9 · world median 440.35 · Mean reading score. OECD, 2022 edition, data for 2022.

    Published values in that edition run from 328.84 to 542.55; higher is better.

    Position 42nd of 79 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2022 dataset

Level with the median, or no median to compare3

  • Primary Schools with ElectricityUIS · 2024 · world median 100100No real change since 2016

    Iceland: 100 · world median 100 · Primary schools with access to electricity (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 1.246 to 100; higher is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • PISA Science PerformanceOECD · 2022 · world median 446.93446.93▲ Improved since 2012

    Iceland: 446.93 · world median 446.93 · Mean science score. OECD, 2022 edition, data for 2022.

    Published values in that edition run from 347.1 to 561.43; higher is better.

    Position 40th of 79 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2022 dataset

  • Primary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 97.4397.43▼ Worsened since 2015

    Iceland: 97.43 · world median 97.43 · Primary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 7.94 to 100; higher is better.

    Position 83rd of 165 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

No better end6

These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.

  • Female Share of STEM GraduatesUIS · 2023 · world median 35.343.29Moved since 2018

    Iceland: 43.29 · world median 35.3 · STEM graduates who are women (%; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 8.333 to 55.96.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Outbound Mobility Ratio, TertiaryUIS · 2023 · world median 5.27912.69Moved since 2013

    Iceland: 12.69 · world median 5.279 · Outbound mobility ratio, tertiary (% of tertiary enrolment at home). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.333 to 1,724.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Scholarly ArticlesOurResearch · 2025 · world median 2,2402,056Moved since 2022

    Iceland: 2,056 · world median 2,240 · Articles with at least one author at an institution in the country (full counting). OpenAlex (OurResearch), 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 1 to 1,094,890.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1732.91No earlier reading

    Iceland: 32.91 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Share of Graduates from ICT ProgrammesUIS · 2023 · world median 5.6013.788Moved since 2018

    Iceland: 3.788 · world median 5.601 · Tertiary graduates from ICT programmes (% of all graduates). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 17.19.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of BirthNobel Prize Outreach · 2025 · world median 21No earlier reading

    Iceland: 1 · world median 2 · Laureates born in the country, 1901 to date (people). Nobel Prize Outreach, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 1 to 296.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing

06The top of the list

Who leads on education & knowledge

The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Iceland can most readily be measured against.

All 198 countries
  1. 1

    United Arab Emirates

    Western Asia

    1st of 198 · 2 of 4 keys

    Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

  2. 2

    Greece

    Southern Europe

    2nd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys

    Photo: User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

  3. 3

    Poland

    Eastern Europe

    3rd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys

    Photo: Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich) · CC BY 3.0, greyscale

Placed highest nearby

  1. Highest placed on all 4 keys

    Moldova7th4/4 keys
  2. Highest in Europe

    Greece2nd3/4 keys
  3. Highest in Northern Europe

    Lithuania5th3/4 keys
  4. This page

    Iceland56th3/4 keys

Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.

07Questions

Iceland on education & knowledge: questions answered

Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.

How does Iceland rank on education & knowledge?

Iceland is placed 56th of 198 countries on Education & Knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary and Upper Secondary Completion Rate). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.

What is the latest Out-of-School Rate, Primary figure for Iceland?

1.821 in 2024 (out-of-school rate, primary age (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 3.691.

What is the latest Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary figure for Iceland?

96.91 in 2024 (children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 85.9.

How have Iceland’s education & knowledge figures changed?

Out-of-School Rate, Primary rose from 0.862 in 2000 to 1.821 in 2023; Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary rose from 92.75 in 2000 to 96.91 in 2023; Upper Secondary Completion Rate rose from 66.42 in 2000 to 66.44 in 2025; Government Spending on Education rose from 6.431 in 2000 to 7.308 in 2022.

Which education & knowledge statistics are missing for Iceland?

No current reading is published for Iceland on Adult Literacy Rate, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Government Spending on Education, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary Age, Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary, Qualified Teachers in Primary Education, School Life Expectancy, Secondary School Enrolment, Tertiary Enrolment Ratio, Trust in Scientists, Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion and Youth Literacy Rate. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.

08Method

Method, sources and how to cite

What this topic does not measure

How much children actually learn is only partly covered. International test scores exist for a limited group of countries, and they are published here as context rather than used as a key, because a key must describe most of the world. Universities, research, and youth and adult literacy also appear as context.

About education & knowledge, in full

How the Education & Knowledge standing is decided

A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.

The education & knowledge method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built

The key statistics and their licences

The other 28 statistics on this page come from 8 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.

The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photographs

Iceland’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Iceland: Education & Knowledge — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/iceland/education

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