Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Iceland
Iceland: Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social was 23.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Iceland, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 23.9% for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in 2023.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Iceland peaked at 28.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 13.9%, in 2008.
Iceland ranks 66th of 127 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 21.1% | — |
| 2001 | 18.5% | -12.2% |
| 2002 | 19.6% | +6.0% |
| 2003 | 21.2% | +8.4% |
| 2004 | 21.0% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 19.0% | -9.3% |
| 2006 | 17.8% | -6.5% |
| 2007 | 18.0% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 13.9% | -22.8% |
| 2009 | 20.0% | +43.4% |
| 2010 | 21.3% | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 21.3% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 21.5% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 21.3% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 21.4% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 20.9% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 28.3% | +35.2% |
| 2017 | 22.3% | -21.2% |
| 2018 | 23.1% | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 25.1% | +8.7% |
| 2020 | 27.3% | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 26.6% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 23.4% | -12.1% |
| 2023 | 23.9% | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19.0% | 13.9% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.6% | 20.9% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.3% | 23.4% | 27.3% | 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 proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Iceland?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Iceland was 23.9% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 28.3% in 2016.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.9% in 2008.
- How does Iceland rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social?
- Iceland ranks 66th out of 127 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social protection (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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