Share of the population that is female in Iceland
Iceland: Share of the population that is female was 48.8% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
48.8%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
194th
of 215 countries
All-time high
50.0%
in 2003
All-time low
48.7%
in 2020
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Share of the population that is female in Iceland, 1960–2025
Source: United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 48.8% for share of the population that is female in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population that is female in Iceland peaked at 50.0% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 48.7%, in 2020.
That places Iceland 194th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Share of the population that is female in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 49.5% | — |
| 1961 | 49.5% | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 49.4% | -0.0% |
| 1964 | 49.5% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 49.5% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 49.4% | -0.0% |
| 1968 | 49.4% | -0.0% |
| 1969 | 49.4% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 49.4% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 49.5% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 49.5% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 49.5% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 49.5% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 49.5% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 49.5% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 49.6% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 49.6% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 49.6% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 49.6% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 49.6% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 49.6% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 49.7% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 49.7% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 49.8% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 49.8% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 49.8% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 49.8% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 49.8% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 49.8% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 49.8% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 49.9% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 50.0% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 50.0% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 49.9% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 49.7% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 49.3% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 49.1% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 49.1% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 49.5% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 49.7% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 49.8% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 49.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 49.8% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 49.8% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 49.6% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 49.2% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 48.9% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 48.7% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 48.7% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 48.8% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 48.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 48.8% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 48.8% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 48.8% | -0.1% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 48.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 50.6%, 96% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 48.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 50.9%, 96% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 49.4% | 49.4% | 49.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 49.5% | 49.4% | 49.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.7% | 49.6% | 49.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 49.9% | 49.8% | 49.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.6% | 49.1% | 50.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.5% | 48.7% | 49.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.8% | 48.7% | 48.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 191 Solomon Islands 48.9% compare
- 192 Marshall Islands 48.8% compare
- 193 Tuvalu 48.8% compare
- 195 Papua New Guinea 48.6% compare
- 196 Jordan 48.5% compare
- 197 India 48.4% compare
More gender data for Iceland
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 69.14 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.228 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 345.21 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 345.21 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.7736 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 2,155 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 2,290 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 2,184 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 2,324 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 2,211 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population that is female in Iceland?
- Share of the population that is female in Iceland was 48.8% in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population that is female recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 50.0% in 2003.
- What is the lowest share of the population that is female recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.7% in 2020.
- How does Iceland rank for share of the population that is female?
- Iceland ranks 194th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of the population that is female rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population that is female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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