Iceland
Northern Europe
At a glance
Facts about Iceland
Iceland has no native snakes and no mosquitoes.
Source: Icelandic Institute of Natural History · checked 2026-08-08Nearly all its electricity comes from geothermal heat and running water.
Source: National Energy Authority of Iceland · checked 2026-08-08Iceland by the numbers
Rank is out of the countries with data for that measure. Every figure is the latest year the source publishes.
| Measure | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| PopulationEveryone living in the country, all ages, counted mid-year. | 392k (2025) | 175th of 209 |
| GDPThe total value of everything the country produces in a year, at current prices. | $38.6bn (2025) | 106th of 203 |
| Land areaTotal land area, excluding inland water and offshore territory. | 101k km² (2023) | 105th of 209 |
| Exports of goods & servicesThe value of everything the country sells abroad in a year, goods and services combined. | $15.5bn (2025) | 97th of 180 |
| Mobile subscriptionsActive mobile phone subscriptions — NOT the same as people. Many people hold two, so a country can have more subscriptions than residents. | 476k (2024) | 173rd of 205 |
| Forest areaLand under natural or planted trees, whether or not it is productive. | 533 km² (2023) | 164th of 203 |
| Agricultural landCropland, land under permanent crops, and permanent pasture. | 16.4k km² (2023) | 127th of 206 |
| CO₂ emissionsCarbon dioxide released in a year, in millions of tonnes. | 3 Mt (2024) | 145th of 198 |
| Urban populationThe number of people living in urban areas, as each country defines them. | 370k (2025) | 166th of 209 |
| Life expectancyHow long a baby born today would live if death rates never changed. | 82.8 years (2024) | 26th of 209 |
| GDP per personEverything the country produces in a year, divided by its population. | $98,323 (2025) | 9th of 205 |
| Internet useThe share of people who have used the internet in the last three months. | 98.2% (2024) | 10th of 191 |
| InflationHow much prices rose over the year, measured on a basket of consumer goods. | 4.1% (2025) | 56th of 182 |
| UnemploymentThe share of people who want a job and are looking for one but do not have one. | 3.6% (2025) | 124th of 185 |
| Urban shareThe share of the population living in urban areas. | 94.2% (2025) | 19th of 209 |
| Births per womanHow many children a woman would have across her life at current birth rates. | 1.56 (2024) | 137th of 209 |
| Trade opennessImports plus exports as a share of GDP. Above 100% is normal for small trading economies. | 82.5% of GDP (2025) | 90th of 183 |
| CO₂ per personCarbon dioxide from fuel and industry, divided by the population. | 8.39 t (2024) | 25th of 198 |
| Human Development IndexThe UN’s combined measure of health, education and income, on a scale from 0 to 1. | 0.972 (2023) | 1st of 193 |
Land borders
None. Everything that leaves Iceland goes by sea or by air.
Across the water
Close by sea, with no shared land border.
Iceland shares these with other countries
Iceland in the Daily Ceteris
Questions from the daily puzzle where the answer is Iceland.
About 85% of all the energy Iceland uses — heating and industry included, not just electricity — comes from geothermal heat and hydropower. Roughly nine homes in ten are warmed by hot water pumped straight out of the ground. source
About 90% of Icelandic employees are union members, the world's highest rate, largely because Iceland runs a 'Ghent system' where unions themselves administer unemployment insurance — joining pays off directly. source
Over 70% of Icelandic women are in paid work, the OECD's highest share, underpinned by heavily subsidised childcare and some of the world's most generous shared parental leave. source
Keep going
Country data from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and the UNDP Human Development Report (CC BY 3.0 IGO)
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