Gender Inequality Index in Iceland
Iceland: Gender Inequality Index was 0.024 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Gender Inequality Index in Iceland, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, gender inequality index in Iceland stood at 0.024. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.0% on the previous year and down 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender inequality index in Iceland peaked at 0.19 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.024, in 2023.
Iceland ranks 163rd of 169 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Gender Inequality Index in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.19 | — |
| 1991 | 0.185 | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 0.176 | -4.9% |
| 1993 | 0.167 | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 0.162 | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 0.159 | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 0.158 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 0.162 | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 0.165 | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 0.145 | -12.1% |
| 2000 | 0.142 | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 0.134 | -5.6% |
| 2002 | 0.127 | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 0.126 | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 0.115 | -8.7% |
| 2005 | 0.107 | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 0.107 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.11 | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 0.112 | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 0.099 | -11.6% |
| 2010 | 0.093 | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 0.088 | -5.4% |
| 2012 | 0.084 | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 0.072 | -14.3% |
| 2014 | 0.069 | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 0.062 | -10.1% |
| 2016 | 0.052 | -16.1% |
| 2017 | 0.054 | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 0.049 | -9.3% |
| 2019 | 0.045 | -8.2% |
| 2020 | 0.041 | -8.9% |
| 2021 | 0.031 | -24.4% |
| 2022 | 0.025 | -19.4% |
| 2023 | 0.024 | -4.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 0.024 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.081, 30% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 0.024 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.0855, 28% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.1669 | 0.145 | 0.19 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1179 | 0.099 | 0.142 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0668 | 0.045 | 0.093 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0302 | 0.024 | 0.041 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More poverty & inequality data for Iceland
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 4 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.54 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,430 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -18.09 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 35.57 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 35.6% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender inequality index in Iceland?
- Gender inequality index in Iceland was 0.024 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender inequality index recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.19 in 1990.
- What is the lowest gender inequality index recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.024 in 2023.
- How does Iceland rank for gender inequality index?
- Iceland ranks 163rd out of 169 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender inequality index rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender Inequality Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This index captures gender-based disadvantage in reproductive health, empowerment and the labor market; ranges from 0 (full equality) to 1 (maximum inequality), representing the share of potential human development lost because of gender gaps.