Iceland: Youth unemployment
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
| Iceland |
Youth unemployment, ages 15-24 |
|---|---|
| Latest value | 8.67 |
| Year | 2025 |
| Measure | percent |
| Data availability | 1991 - 2025 |
| Average | 8.98 |
| Min - Max | 4.19 - 15.86 |
| Source | The World Bank |
The latest value from 2025 is 8.67 percent, a decline from 8.78 percent in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 15.49 percent, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for Iceland from 1991 to 2025 is 8.98 percent. The minimum value, 4.19 percent, was reached in 1999 while the maximum of 15.86 percent was recorded in 2010.
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* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
Recent data
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We present the rate of youth unemployment for Iceland and other countries. Youth unemployment is the percent of 15-24 year olds who are part of the labor force but are unemployed. Recall that the labor force includes the employed and the unemployed people.
Definition: Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.
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| Related indicators | Latest | Reference | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor force | 0.24 | 2025 | million people |
| Unemployment rate | 3.63 | 2025 | percent |
| Female unemployment | 3.35 | 2025 | percent |
| Male unemployment | 3.86 | 2025 | percent |
| Youth unemployment | 8.67 | 2025 | percent |
| Labor force participation | 74.93 | 2025 | percent |
| Labor force: percent female | 45.61 | 2025 | percent |
| Female labor force participation | 70.01 | 2025 | percent |
| Male labor force participation | 79.61 | 2025 | percent |
| Hours worked | 1,443.65 | 2023 | hours |
| Self-employment | 13.68 | 2023 | percent |
| Employment | 0.22 | Q4/2025 | million employed people |
| Unemployment rate | 5.80 | 4/2026 | percent |
| Labor cost | 144.40 | Q1/2022 | index points |