Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland
Iceland: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 6.3% in 2019. ▬ Flat
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income 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. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland is 6.3%, measured in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.2% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland peaked at 7.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2013.
That places Iceland 112th out of 123 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 6.3% | — |
| 2004 | 5.7% | -9.5% |
| 2005 | 6.5% | +14.0% |
| 2006 | 6.6% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 6.9% | +11.3% |
| 2009 | 7.0% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 6.7% | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 7.2% | +7.5% |
| 2012 | 6.7% | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 5.4% | -19.4% |
| 2014 | 6.3% | +16.7% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 6.5% | +6.6% |
| 2017 | 6.3% | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 7.7% | +22.2% |
| 2019 | 6.3% | -18.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 6.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.6%, 54% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 6.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 57% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.5% | 5.7% | 7.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 5.4% | 7.7% | 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 proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland was 6.3% 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 proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 7.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2013.
- How does Iceland rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- Iceland ranks 112th out of 123 countries with data for 2019.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2021 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.