Human Development Index in Iceland
Iceland: Human Development Index was 0.972 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index in Iceland, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for human development index in Iceland is 0.972, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in Iceland peaked at 0.972 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.841, in 1990.
Iceland ranks 1st of 192 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.869 | 0.841 | 0.895 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9263 | 0.902 | 0.941 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9538 | 0.935 | 0.969 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.967 | 0.964 | 0.972 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More reference data data for Iceland
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0053 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 1.54 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.54 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.54 live births per woman (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 1.63 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 84.98 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 1.42 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 81.79 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 86.49 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate 1.21 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index in Iceland?
- Human development index in Iceland was 0.972 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.972 in 2023.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.841 in 1990.
- How does Iceland rank for human development index?
- Iceland ranks 1st out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.