Rural population, per capita in Iceland
Iceland: Rural population, per capita was 0.0578 units per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population, per capita in Iceland, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 0.0578 units per person for rural population, per capita in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per capita in Iceland peaked at 0.1965 units per person in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.0578 units per person, in 2025.
Iceland ranks 194th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population, per capita in Iceland, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.1965 units per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.1902 units per person | -3.2% |
| 1962 | 0.1846 units per person | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 0.1797 units per person | -2.6% |
| 1964 | 0.1735 units per person | -3.5% |
| 1965 | 0.1681 units per person | -3.1% |
| 1966 | 0.1646 units per person | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 0.161 units per person | -2.2% |
| 1968 | 0.156 units per person | -3.1% |
| 1969 | 0.1525 units per person | -2.3% |
| 1970 | 0.1496 units per person | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 0.1467 units per person | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 0.1425 units per person | -2.9% |
| 1973 | 0.138 units per person | -3.2% |
| 1974 | 0.135 units per person | -2.2% |
| 1975 | 0.1314 units per person | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 0.1282 units per person | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 0.1256 units per person | -2.0% |
| 1978 | 0.1233 units per person | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 0.1212 units per person | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 0.1191 units per person | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 0.1166 units per person | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 0.1139 units per person | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 0.1111 units per person | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 0.1088 units per person | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 0.1067 units per person | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 0.1044 units per person | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 0.1017 units per person | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 0.0988 units per person | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 0.096 units per person | -2.8% |
| 1990 | 0.0939 units per person | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 0.091 units per person | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 0.0885 units per person | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 0.087 units per person | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 0.0855 units per person | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 0.0836 units per person | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 0.0816 units per person | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 0.0798 units per person | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 0.0832 units per person | +4.3% |
| 1999 | 0.0819 units per person | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 0.0803 units per person | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 0.0795 units per person | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0783 units per person | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 0.0768 units per person | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0756 units per person | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 0.0762 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 0.078 units per person | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0764 units per person | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 0.0694 units per person | -9.2% |
| 2009 | 0.0656 units per person | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0654 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0659 units per person | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 0.0649 units per person | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 0.0638 units per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0638 units per person | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.0627 units per person | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 0.0622 units per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.0623 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.0615 units per person | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 0.0602 units per person | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 0.0586 units per person | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 0.0579 units per person | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 0.0582 units per person | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 0.0585 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 0.0582 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 0.0578 units per person | -0.6% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 0.0578 units per person is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.1867 units per person, 31% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 0.0578 units per person is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.304 units per person, 19% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1727 units per person | 0.1525 units per person | 0.1965 units per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1342 units per person | 0.1212 units per person | 0.1496 units per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1077 units per person | 0.096 units per person | 0.1191 units per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0856 units per person | 0.0798 units per person | 0.0939 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0756 units per person | 0.0656 units per person | 0.0803 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0633 units per person | 0.0602 units per person | 0.0659 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0582 units per person | 0.0578 units per person | 0.0586 units per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More agriculture & rural data for Iceland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 19.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0365 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 3,593 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8983 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
- Rural population 5.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per capita in Iceland?
- Rural population, per capita in Iceland was 0.0578 units per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per capita recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1965 units per person in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population, per capita recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0578 units per person in 2025.
- How does Iceland rank for rural population, per capita?
- Iceland ranks 194th out of 216 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population, per capita rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.