Life expectancy in Iceland
Iceland: Life expectancy was 82.69 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
82.69 years
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
25th
of 236 countries
All-time high
82.85 years
in 2019
All-time low
17.94 years
in 1882
Years of data
186
1838–2023
Life expectancy in Iceland, 1838–2023
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 82.69 years for life expectancy in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Iceland peaked at 82.85 years in 2019 and was at its lowest, 17.94 years, in 1882.
That places Iceland 25th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 186 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Iceland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1838 | 32.54 years | — |
| 1839 | 28.07 years | -13.7% |
| 1840 | 32.08 years | +14.3% |
| 1841 | 40.35 years | +25.8% |
| 1842 | 40.23 years | -0.3% |
| 1843 | 25.5 years | -36.6% |
| 1844 | 42.97 years | +68.5% |
| 1845 | 41.47 years | -3.5% |
| 1846 | 18.68 years | -55.0% |
| 1847 | 33.41 years | +78.9% |
| 1848 | 41.78 years | +25.1% |
| 1849 | 37.34 years | -10.6% |
| 1850 | 36.74 years | -1.6% |
| 1851 | 30.14 years | -18.0% |
| 1852 | 42.15 years | +39.8% |
| 1853 | 48.69 years | +15.5% |
| 1854 | 43.16 years | -11.4% |
| 1855 | 38.24 years | -11.4% |
| 1856 | 42.41 years | +10.9% |
| 1857 | 39.52 years | -6.8% |
| 1858 | 34.88 years | -11.7% |
| 1859 | 29.82 years | -14.5% |
| 1860 | 19.84 years | -33.5% |
| 1861 | 27.18 years | +37.0% |
| 1862 | 27.1 years | -0.3% |
| 1863 | 35.22 years | +30.0% |
| 1864 | 34.97 years | -0.7% |
| 1865 | 34.24 years | -2.1% |
| 1866 | 27.28 years | -20.3% |
| 1867 | 37.67 years | +38.1% |
| 1868 | 34.79 years | -7.6% |
| 1869 | 28.17 years | -19.0% |
| 1870 | 38.44 years | +36.5% |
| 1871 | 35.13 years | -8.6% |
| 1872 | 25.31 years | -28.0% |
| 1873 | 36.69 years | +45.0% |
| 1874 | 39.63 years | +8.0% |
| 1875 | 36.61 years | -7.6% |
| 1876 | 40.34 years | +10.2% |
| 1877 | 44.69 years | +10.8% |
| 1878 | 41.37 years | -7.4% |
| 1879 | 39.49 years | -4.5% |
| 1880 | 42.41 years | +7.4% |
| 1881 | 35.96 years | -15.2% |
| 1882 | 17.94 years | -50.1% |
| 1883 | 29.78 years | +66.0% |
| 1884 | 42.11 years | +41.4% |
| 1885 | 45.64 years | +8.4% |
| 1886 | 45.05 years | -1.3% |
| 1887 | 40.69 years | -9.7% |
| 1888 | 46.76 years | +14.9% |
| 1889 | 52.51 years | +12.3% |
| 1890 | 36.76 years | -30.0% |
| 1891 | 47.33 years | +28.8% |
| 1892 | 52.79 years | +11.5% |
| 1893 | 52.57 years | -0.4% |
| 1894 | 44.8 years | -14.8% |
| 1895 | 52.37 years | +16.9% |
| 1896 | 53.17 years | +1.5% |
| 1897 | 48.58 years | -8.6% |
| 1898 | 44.35 years | -8.7% |
| 1899 | 49.75 years | +12.2% |
| 1900 | 46.59 years | -6.4% |
| 1901 | 52.93 years | +13.6% |
| 1902 | 50.93 years | -3.8% |
| 1903 | 48.7 years | -4.4% |
| 1904 | 52.67 years | +8.2% |
| 1905 | 49.45 years | -6.1% |
| 1906 | 53.51 years | +8.2% |
| 1907 | 49.76 years | -7.0% |
| 1908 | 45.71 years | -8.1% |
| 1909 | 52.46 years | +14.8% |
| 1910 | 52.64 years | +0.3% |
| 1911 | 55.39 years | +5.2% |
| 1912 | 55.99 years | +1.1% |
| 1913 | 58.94 years | +5.3% |
| 1914 | 51.91 years | -11.9% |
| 1915 | 53.52 years | +3.1% |
| 1916 | 54.41 years | +1.7% |
| 1917 | 59 years | +8.4% |
| 1918 | 51.07 years | -13.4% |
| 1919 | 58.46 years | +14.5% |
| 1920 | 54.63 years | -6.6% |
| 1921 | 54.13 years | -0.9% |
| 1922 | 56.89 years | +5.1% |
| 1923 | 57.68 years | +1.4% |
| 1924 | 54.08 years | -6.2% |
| 1925 | 58.22 years | +7.7% |
| 1926 | 60.72 years | +4.3% |
| 1927 | 58.09 years | -4.3% |
| 1928 | 61.71 years | +6.2% |
| 1929 | 60.54 years | -1.9% |
| 1930 | 60.18 years | -0.6% |
| 1931 | 60.84 years | +1.1% |
| 1932 | 62.08 years | +2.0% |
| 1933 | 62.91 years | +1.3% |
| 1934 | 63.35 years | +0.7% |
| 1935 | 59.49 years | -6.1% |
| 1936 | 62.69 years | +5.4% |
| 1937 | 63.47 years | +1.2% |
| 1938 | 65.02 years | +2.4% |
| 1939 | 65.98 years | +1.5% |
| 1940 | 65.77 years | -0.3% |
| 1941 | 63.12 years | -4.0% |
| 1942 | 64.12 years | +1.6% |
| 1943 | 65.22 years | +1.7% |
| 1944 | 66.72 years | +2.3% |
| 1945 | 67.55 years | +1.2% |
| 1946 | 68.49 years | +1.4% |
| 1947 | 69.32 years | +1.2% |
| 1948 | 70.2 years | +1.3% |
| 1949 | 71.39 years | +1.7% |
| 1950 | 71.03 years | -0.5% |
| 1951 | 71 years | -0.0% |
| 1952 | 72.41 years | +2.0% |
| 1953 | 72.28 years | -0.2% |
| 1954 | 73.34 years | +1.5% |
| 1955 | 73.28 years | -0.1% |
| 1956 | 72.9 years | -0.5% |
| 1957 | 73.39 years | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 73.35 years | -0.1% |
| 1959 | 72.62 years | -1.0% |
| 1960 | 74.05 years | +2.0% |
| 1961 | 73.39 years | -0.9% |
| 1962 | 73.61 years | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 72.94 years | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 73.53 years | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 73.8 years | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 73.14 years | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 73.69 years | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 73.9 years | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 73.66 years | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 73.78 years | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 73.49 years | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 74.4 years | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 74.28 years | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 74.13 years | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 75.27 years | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 76.63 years | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 76.08 years | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 76.38 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 76.53 years | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 76.6 years | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 76.19 years | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 76.8 years | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 76.43 years | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 77.3 years | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 77.39 years | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 77.87 years | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 77.05 years | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 76.89 years | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 77.93 years | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 77.74 years | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 77.76 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 78.59 years | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 78.81 years | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 79.02 years | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 77.54 years | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 78.65 years | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 78.67 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 79.4 years | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 79.24 years | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 79.55 years | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 80.42 years | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 80.28 years | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 80.77 years | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 80.72 years | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 81.17 years | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 80.94 years | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 81.09 years | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 81.24 years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 81.42 years | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 81.59 years | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 81.97 years | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 82.35 years | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 81.74 years | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 82.43 years | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 82.16 years | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 81.83 years | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 82.24 years | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 82.45 years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 82.85 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 82.71 years | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 82.84 years | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 81.59 years | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 82.69 years | +1.4% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 82.69 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 81 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 82.69 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 79.72 years, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy in Iceland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1847 | +78.9% | 18.68 years | 33.41 years |
| 1844 | +68.5% | 25.5 years | 42.97 years |
| 1883 | +66.0% | 17.94 years | 29.78 years |
| 1846 | -55.0% | 41.47 years | 18.68 years |
| 1882 | -50.1% | 35.96 years | 17.94 years |
| 1873 | +45.0% | 25.31 years | 36.69 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 30.3 years | 28.07 years | 32.54 years | 2 |
| 1840s | 35.38 years | 18.68 years | 42.97 years | 10 |
| 1850s | 38.58 years | 29.82 years | 48.69 years | 10 |
| 1860s | 30.65 years | 19.84 years | 37.67 years | 10 |
| 1870s | 37.77 years | 25.31 years | 44.69 years | 10 |
| 1880s | 39.88 years | 17.94 years | 52.51 years | 10 |
| 1890s | 48.25 years | 36.76 years | 53.17 years | 10 |
| 1900s | 50.27 years | 45.71 years | 53.51 years | 10 |
| 1910s | 55.13 years | 51.07 years | 59 years | 10 |
| 1920s | 57.67 years | 54.08 years | 61.71 years | 10 |
| 1930s | 62.6 years | 59.49 years | 65.98 years | 10 |
| 1940s | 67.19 years | 63.12 years | 71.39 years | 10 |
| 1950s | 72.56 years | 71 years | 73.39 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 73.57 years | 72.94 years | 74.05 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 75.1 years | 73.49 years | 76.63 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.04 years | 76.19 years | 77.93 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 78.54 years | 77.54 years | 79.4 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.76 years | 79.55 years | 81.42 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.16 years | 81.59 years | 82.85 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.46 years | 81.59 years | 82.84 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More health data for Iceland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2085)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.4982 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,358 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 0 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.1533 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0283 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.1097 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Iceland?
- Life expectancy in Iceland was 82.69 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 82.85 years in 2019.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.94 years in 1882.
- How does Iceland rank for life expectancy?
- Iceland ranks 25th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 186 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.