Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Iceland
Iceland: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line was 8.8% in 2017. ▼ Falling
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Iceland, 2003–2017
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Iceland is 8.8%, measured in 2017.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.9% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Iceland peaked at 10.2% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 7.9%, in 2011.
That places Iceland 60th out of 73 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 10.0% | — |
| 2004 | 9.7% | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 9.6% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 10.1% | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 10.1% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 10.2% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 9.8% | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 9.2% | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 7.9% | -14.1% |
| 2012 | 9.3% | +17.7% |
| 2013 | 7.9% | -15.1% |
| 2014 | 9.2% | +16.5% |
| 2015 | 8.8% | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 10.1% | +14.8% |
| 2017 | 8.8% | -12.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.9% | 9.6% | 10.2% | 7 |
| 2010s | 8.9% | 7.9% | 10.1% | 8 |
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 population living below the national poverty line in Iceland?
- Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Iceland was 8.8% in 2017, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population living below the national poverty line recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 10.2% in 2008.
- What is the lowest proportion of population living below the national poverty line recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.9% in 2011.
- How does Iceland rank for proportion of population living below the national poverty line?
- Iceland ranks 60th out of 73 countries with data for 2017.
- Is proportion of population living below the national poverty line rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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