Three metrics of inequality in Iceland
Iceland: Three metrics of inequality was 39.53 in 2016. ▼ Falling
Three metrics of inequality in Iceland, 1991–2016
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 39.53 for three metrics of inequality in 2016.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, three metrics of inequality in Iceland peaked at 45.36 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 37.88, in 2010.
Iceland ranks 111th of 113 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Three metrics of inequality in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 41.74 | — |
| 1992 | 41.74 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 41.72 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 41.81 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 41.68 | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 41.86 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 42.07 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 42.3 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 42.57 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 42.46 | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 43.77 | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 44.26 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 43.53 | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 42.12 | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 42.14 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 43.06 | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 45.36 | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 39.78 | -12.3% |
| 2009 | 38.42 | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 37.88 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 38.22 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 38.38 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 40.14 | +4.6% |
| 2014 | 39.93 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 39.96 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 39.53 | -1.1% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 39.53 is below the median for high income countries, which is 47.06, 84% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 39.53 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 46.7, 85% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 41.94 | 41.68 | 42.57 | 9 |
| 2000s | 42.49 | 38.42 | 45.36 | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.15 | 37.88 | 40.14 | 7 |
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 three metrics of inequality in Iceland?
- Three metrics of inequality in Iceland was 39.53 in 2016, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest three metrics of inequality recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 45.36 in 2007.
- What is the lowest three metrics of inequality recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.88 in 2010.
- How does Iceland rank for three metrics of inequality?
- Iceland ranks 111th out of 113 countries with data for 2016.
- Is three metrics of inequality rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Three metrics of inequality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Inequality is measured here in terms of income before taxes and benefits.