Gini index in Iceland
Iceland: Gini index was 26.8 in 2019. ▼ Falling
Gini index in Iceland, 2003–2019
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
Analysis
In 2019, gini index in Iceland stood at 26.8.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini index in Iceland peaked at 31.8 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 25.4, in 2013.
That places Iceland 111th out of 123 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Gini index in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 26.8 | — |
| 2004 | 28 | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 29 | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 30.2 | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 29.5 | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 31.8 | +7.8% |
| 2009 | 28.7 | -9.7% |
| 2010 | 26.2 | -8.7% |
| 2011 | 26.8 | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 26.8 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 25.4 | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 27.8 | +9.4% |
| 2015 | 26.8 | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 27.2 | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 26.1 | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 26.6 | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 26.8 | +0.8% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 26.8 is below the median for high income countries, which is 32.05, 84% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 26.8 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.65, 87% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.14 | 26.8 | 31.8 | 7 |
| 2010s | 26.65 | 25.4 | 27.8 | 10 |
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 gini index in Iceland?
- Gini index in Iceland was 26.8 in 2019, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest gini index recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 31.8 in 2008.
- What is the lowest gini index recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.4 in 2013.
- How does Iceland rank for gini index?
- Iceland ranks 111th out of 123 countries with data for 2019.
- Is gini index rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Gini index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.