Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland

Iceland: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 6.3% in 2019. ▬ Flat

Latest (2019)
6.3%
Change on year
down 18.2%
World rank
118th
of 130 countries
All-time high
7.7%
in 2018
All-time low
5.4%
in 2013
Years of data
17
2003–2019

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland, 2003–2019

024682003201120192003: 6.32004: 5.72005: 6.52006: 6.62007: 6.22008: 6.92009: 72010: 6.72011: 7.22012: 6.72013: 5.42014: 6.32015: 6.12016: 6.52017: 6.32018: 7.72019: 6.3

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Iceland recorded 6.3% for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.2% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland peaked at 7.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2013.

That places Iceland 118th out of 130 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) in Iceland, 2003 to 2019.
Year Value Change
2003 6.3%
2004 5.7% -9.5%
2005 6.5% +14.0%
2006 6.6% +1.5%
2007 6.2% -6.1%
2008 6.9% +11.3%
2009 7.0% +1.4%
2010 6.7% -4.3%
2011 7.2% +7.5%
2012 6.7% -6.9%
2013 5.4% -19.4%
2014 6.3% +16.7%
2015 6.1% -3.2%
2016 6.5% +6.6%
2017 6.3% -3.1%
2018 7.7% +22.2%
2019 6.3% -18.2%

Iceland compared with similar countries

  • Iceland's 6.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.7%, 54% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
  • Iceland's 6.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 57% of the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.5% 5.7% 7.0% 7
2010s 6.5% 5.4% 7.7% 10

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 115 Bangladesh 6.8% compare
  2. 116 Indonesia 6.7% compare
  3. 117 Denmark 6.6% compare
  4. 119 Armenia 6.2% compare
  5. 120 Slovenia 5.9% compare
  6. 121 Ukraine 5.1% compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More infrastructure data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland?
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland was 6.3% in 2019, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 7.7% in 2018.
What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2013.
How does Iceland rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Iceland ranks 118th out of 130 countries with data for 2019.
Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/iceland/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/iceland/">Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Iceland</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,510 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed