2019 Edition

Background

Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althingi, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Denmark granted limited home rule in 1874 and complete independence in 1944. The second half of the 20th century saw substantial economic growth driven primarily by the fishing industry. The economy diversified greatly after the country joined the European Economic Area in 1994, but Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. The economy is now on an upward trajectory, fueled primarily by a tourism and construction boom. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.

Area

Land

100,250 sq km

Total

103,000 sq km

Water

2,750 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; about the same size as Kentucky

Climate

temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers

Coastline

4,970 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Hvannadalshnukur (at Vatnajokull Glacier) 2,110 m

Lowest Point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Mean Elevation

557 m

Environment Current Issues

water pollution from fertilizer runoff

Environment International Agreements

Party To

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

Signed But Not Ratified

Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic Coordinates

65 00 N, 18 00 W

Geography Note

strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

18.7% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

1.2% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

0% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

17.5% (2011 est.)

Forest

0.3% (2011 est.)

Other

81% (2011 est.)

Location

Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom

Map References

Arctic Region

Maritime Claims

Continental Shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Exclusive Economic Zone

200 nm

Territorial Sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

earthquakes and volcanic activityvolcanism: Iceland, situated on top of a hotspot, experiences severe volcanic activity; Eyjafjallajokull (1,666 m) erupted in 2010, sending ash high into the atmosphere and seriously disrupting European air traffic; scientists continue to monitor nearby Katla (1,512 m), which has a high probability of eruption in the very near future, potentially disrupting air traffic; Grimsvoetn and Hekla are Iceland's most active volcanoes; other historically active volcanoes include Askja, Bardarbunga, Brennisteinsfjoll, Esjufjoll, Hengill, Krafla, Krisuvik, Kverkfjoll, Oraefajokull, Reykjanes, Torfajokull, and Vestmannaeyjar

Natural Resources

fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite

Population Distribution

Iceland is almost entirely urban with half of the population located in and around the capital of Reykjavik; smaller clusters are primarily found along the coast in the north and west

Terrain

mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords

Age Structure

0 14 Years

20.4% (male 35,812 /female 34,249)

15 24 Years

13.22% (male 22,952 /female 22,444)

25 54 Years

39.76% (male 69,177 /female 67,401)

55 64 Years

11.87% (male 20,350 /female 20,426)

65 Years And Over

14.76% (male 23,822 /female 26,885) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

13.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

8.3% (2016)

Death Rate

6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

20.8 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

4.8 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

51.6 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

30.8 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

100% of population

Improved Total

100% of population

Improved Urban

100% of population

Unimproved Rural

0% of population

Unimproved Total

0% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

0% of population

Education Expenditures

7.5% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic Groups

homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 81%, population with foreign background 19% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.1% (2018)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<100 (2018)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

<500 (2018)

Hospital Bed Density

3.4 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

2 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

2.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

2.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

85.5 years

Male

80.9 years

Total Population

83.1 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

216,000 REYKJAVIK (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

37.3 years

Male

36.1 years

Total

36.7 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

27.4 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Icelandic

Noun

Icelander(s)

Net Migration Rate

3.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

21.9% (2016)

Physicians Density

3.97 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

343,518 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.08% (2018 est.)

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland (official) 67.2%, Roman Catholic 3.9%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.8%, Hafnarfjordur Free Church 2%, Asatru Association 1.2%, The Independent Congregation .9%, other religions 4% (includes Zuist and Pentecostal), none 6.7%, other or unspecified 11.3% (2018 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

100% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

98.8% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

98.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

0% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

1.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

1.3% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

20 years (2016)

Male

18 years

Total

19 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.02 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.03 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

1 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.89 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Total Population

1 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.99 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

7.1% (2017 est.)

Male

8.6%

Total

7.9%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

0.81% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

93.9% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

74 municipalities (sveitarfelog, singular - sveitarfelagidh); Akrahreppur, Akraneskaupstadhur, Akureyrarkaupstadhur, Arneshreppur, Asahreppur, Blaskogabyggdh, Blonduosbaer, Bolungarvikurkaupstadhur, Borgarbyggdh, Borgarfjardharhreppur, Breidhdalshreppur, Dalabyggdh, Dalvikurbyggdh, Djupavogshreppur, Eyjafjardharsveit, Eyja-og Miklaholtshreppur, Fjallabyggdh, Fjardhabyggdh, Fljotsdalsheradh, Fljotsdalshreppur, Floahreppur, Gardhabaer, Grimsnes-og Grafningshreppur, Grindavikurbaer, Grundarfjardharbaer, Grytubakkahreppur, Hafnarfjardharkaupstadhur, Helgafellssveit, Horgarsveit, Hrunamannahreppur, Hunathing Vestra, Hunavatnshreppur, Hvalfjardharsveit, Hveragerdhisbaer, Isafjardharbaer, Kaldrananeshreppur, Kjosarhreppur, Kopavogsbaer, Langanesbyggdh, Mosfellsbaer, Myrdalshreppur, Nordhurthing, Rangarthing Eystra, Rangarthing Ytra, Reykholahreppur, Reykjanesbaer, Reykjavikurborg, Sandgerdhisbaer, Seltjarnarnesbaer, Seydhisfjardharkaupstadhur, Skaftarhreppur, Skagabyggdh, Skeidha-og Gnupverjahreppur, Skorradalshreppur, Skutustadhahreppur, Snaefellsbaer, Strandabyggdh, Stykkisholmsbaer, Sudhavikurhreppur, Svalbardhshreppur, Svalbardhsstrandarhreppur, Sveitarfelagidh Arborg, Sveitarfelagidh Gardhur, Sveitarfelagidh Hornafjordhur, Sveitarfelagidh Olfus, Sveitarfelagidh Skagafjordhur, Sveitarfelagidh Skagastrond, Sveitarfelagidh Vogar, Talknafjardharhreppur, Thingeyjarsveit, Tjorneshreppur, Vestmannaeyjabaer, Vesturbyggdh, Vopnafjardharhreppur

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

64 09 N, 21 57 W

Name

Reykjavik

Time Difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Iceland

Dual Citizenship Recognized

yes

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

3 to 7 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by the Althingi; passage requires approval by the Althingi and by the next elected Althingi, and confirmation by the president of the republic; proposed amendments to Article 62 of the constitution – that the Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the state church of Iceland – also require passage by referendum; amended many times, last in 2013 (2016)

History

several previous; latest ratified 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 (at independence)

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Republic of Iceland

Conventional Short Form

Iceland

Etymology

Floki VILGERDARSON, an early explorer of the island (9th century), applied the name "Land of Ice" after spotting a fjord full of drift ice to the north and spending a bitter winter on the island; he eventually settled on the island, however, after he saw how it greened up in the summer and that it was, in fact, habitable

Local Long Form

Lydveldid Island

Local Short Form

Island

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Jeffrey Ross GUNTER (since 2 July 2019)

Embassy

Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik

Fax

[354] 562-9118

Mailing Address

US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640

Telephone

[354] 595-2200

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, #509, Washington, DC 20007

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Geir Hilmar HAARDE (since 23 February 2015)

Consulate's General

New York

Fax

[1] (202) 265-6656

Telephone

[1] (202) 265-6653

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the prime minister

Chief Of State

President Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (since 1 August 2016)

Election Results

Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON elected president; percent of vote - Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON 39.1%, Halla TOMASDOTTIR 27.9%, Andri Snaer MAGNASON 14.3%, David ODDSSON 13.7%, Sturla JONSSON 3.5%, invalid 1.5%

Elections Appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 25 June 2016 (next to be held in June 2020); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition becomes prime minister

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR (since 30 November 2017)

Flag Description

blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors represent three of the elements that make up the island: red is for the island's volcanic fires, white recalls the snow and ice fields of the island, and blue is for the surrounding ocean

Government Type

unitary parliamentary republic

Independence

1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark; birthday of Jon SIGURDSSON, leader of Iceland's 19th Century independence movement)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Supreme Court or Haestirettur (consists of 9 judges)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

judges proposed by Ministry of Interior selection committee and appointed by the president; judges appointed for an indefinite period

Subordinate Courts

Appellate Court or Landsrettur; 8 district courts; Labor Court

Legal System

civil law system influenced by the Danish model

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral Althingi or Parliament (63 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - IP 25.2%, LGM 16.9%, SDA 12.1%, CP 10.9%, PP 10.7%, Pirate Party 9.2%, People's Party 6.9%, Reform Party 6.7%. other 1.5%; seats by party - IP 16, LGM 11, SDA 7, CP 7, PP 8, Pirate Party 6, Reform Party 4, People's Party 4

Elections

last held on 28 October 2017 (next to be held in 2021)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Matthias JOCHUMSSON/Sveinbjorn SVEINBJORNSSON

Name

"Lofsongur" (Song of Praise)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 17 June (1944)

National Symbol S

gyrfalcon; national colors: blue, white, red

Political Parties And Leaders

Centrist Party (Midflokkurinn) or CP [Sigmundur David GUNNLAUGSSON] Independence Party (Sjalfstaedisflokkurinn) or IP [Bjarni BENEDIKTSSON] Left-Green Movement (Vinstrihreyfingin-graent frambod) or LGM [Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR] People's Party (Flokkur Folksins) [Inga SAELAND] Pirate Party (Piratar) [rotating leadership] Progressive Party (Framsoknarflokkurinn) or PP [Sigurdur Ingi JOHANNSSON] Reform Party (Vidreisn) [Thorgerdur Katrin GUNNARSDOTTIR] Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) or SDA [Logi Mar EINARSSON]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

potatoes, carrots, green vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers; mutton, chicken, pork, beef, dairy products; fish

Budget

Expenditures

10.02 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

10.39 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2010

5.75%

31 January 2012

5.4%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

8.24%

31 December 2017

7.26%

Current Account Balance

2016

$1.556 billion

2017

$857 million

Debt External

31 December 2016

$25.02 billion

31 December 2017

$21.7 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2005

25

2006

28

Economy Overview

Iceland's economy combines a capitalist structure and free-market principles with an extensive welfare system. Except for a brief period during the 2008 crisis, Iceland has in recent years achieved high growth, low unemployment, and a remarkably even distribution of income. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, particularly within the fields of tourism, software production, and biotechnology. Abundant geothermal and hydropower sources have attracted substantial foreign investment in the aluminum sector, boosted economic growth, and sparked some interest from high-tech firms looking to establish data centers using cheap green energy.Tourism, aluminum smelting, and fishing are the pillars of the economy. For decades the Icelandic economy depended heavily on fisheries, but tourism has now surpassed fishing and aluminum as Iceland’s main export industry. Tourism accounted for 8.6% of Iceland’s GDP in 2016, and 39% of total exports of merchandise and services. From 2010 to 2017, the number of tourists visiting Iceland increased by nearly 400%. Since 2010, tourism has become a main driver of Icelandic economic growth, with the number of tourists reaching 4.5 times the Icelandic population in 2016. Iceland remains sensitive to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports, and to fluctuations in the exchange rate of the Icelandic Krona.Following the privatization of the banking sector in the early 2000s, domestic banks expanded aggressively in foreign markets, and consumers and businesses borrowed heavily in foreign currencies. Worsening global financial conditions throughout 2008 resulted in a sharp depreciation of the krona vis-a-vis other major currencies. The foreign exposure of Icelandic banks, whose loans and other assets totaled nearly nine times the country's GDP, became unsustainable. Iceland's three largest banks collapsed in late 2008. GDP fell 6.8% in 2009, and unemployment peaked at 9.4% in February 2009. Three new banks were established to take over the domestic assets of the collapsed banks. Two of them have majority ownership by the state, which intends to re-privatize them.Since the collapse of Iceland's financial sector, government economic priorities have included stabilizing the krona, implementing capital controls, reducing Iceland's high budget deficit, containing inflation, addressing high household debt, restructuring the financial sector, and diversifying the economy. Capital controls were lifted in March 2017, but some financial protections, such as reserve requirements for specified investments connected to new inflows of foreign currency, remain in place.

Exchange Rates

2013

116.77

2014

131.92

2015

120.81

2016

120.81

2017

111.7

Currency

Icelandic kronur (ISK) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$4.483 billion

2017

$4.957 billion

Exports Commodities

fish and fish products (42%), aluminum (38%), agricultural products, medicinal and medical products, ferro-silicon (2015)

Exports Partners

Netherlands 25.5%, Spain 13.6%, UK 9.4%, Germany 7.6%, US 7%, France 6.3%, Norway 4.9%

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

47% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

23.3% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

50.4% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-42.8% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

22.1% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

5.8% (2017 est.)

Industry

19.7% (2017 est.)

Services

74.6% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$24.48 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$48,900

2016

$51,700

2017

$52,200

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$16.29 billion

2016

$17.48 billion

2017

$18.18 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

4.5%

2016

7.4%

2017

4%

Gross National Saving

2015

24.5% of GDP

2016

29.1% of GDP

2017

25.8% of GDP

Imports

2016

$5.315 billion

2017

$6.525 billion

Imports Commodities

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports Partners

Germany 10.7%, Norway 9.2%, China 7%, Netherlands 6.7%, US 6.4%, Denmark 6.2%, UK 5.7%, Sweden 4.1%

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2.4% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, fish processing; aluminum smelting;; geothermal power, hydropower; medical/pharmaceutical products

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

1.7%

2017

1.8%

Labor Force

198,700 (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

4.8%

Industry

22.2%

Services

73% (2008)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2010

$1.996 billion

31 December 2011

$2.021 billion

31 December 2012

$2.825 billion

Public Debt

2016

51.7% of GDP

2017

40% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$7.226 billion

31 December 2017

$6.567 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$4.251 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$17.64 billion

31 December 2017

$11.24 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$13.89 billion

31 December 2017

$6.666 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$21.18 billion

31 December 2017

$24.51 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$4.251 billion

31 December 2017

$4.945 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

42.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

3%

2017

2.8%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

3.228 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

17.68 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

4% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

71% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

25% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

2.772 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

18.17 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

20,850 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

2,530 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

20,220 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

39 (2017 est.)

Total

133,574

Broadcast Media

state-owned public TV broadcaster (RUV) operates 21 TV channels nationally (RUV and RUV 2, though RUV 2 is used less frequently); RUV broadcasts nationally, every household in Iceland is required to have RUV as it doubles as the emergency broadcast network; RUV also operates stringer offices in the north (Akureyri) and the east (Egilsstadir) but operations are all run out of RUV headquarters in Reykjavik; there are 3 privately owned TV stations; Stod 2 (Channel 2) is owned by Syn, following 365 Media and Vodafone merger, and is headquartered in Reykjavik; Syn also operates 4 sports channels under Stod 2; N4 is the only television station headquartered outside of Reykjavik, in Akureyri, with local programming for the north, south, and east of Iceland; Hringbraut is the newest station and is headquartered in Reykjavik; all of these television stations have nationwide penetration as 100% of households have multi-channel services though digital and/or fiber-optic connections RUV operates 3 radio stations (RAS 1, RAS2, and Rondo) as well as 4 regional stations (but they mostly act as range extenders for RUV radio broadcasts nationwide); there is 1 privately owned radio conglomerate, Syn (4 stations), that broadcasts nationwide, and 3 other radio stations that broadcast to the most densely populated regions of the country. In addition there are upwards of 20 radio stations that operate regionally (2019)

Internet Country Code

.is

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

98.2% (July 2016 est.)

Total

329,967

Telephone System

Domestic

liberalization of the telecommunications sector beginning in the late 1990s has led to increased competition especially in the mobile services segment of the market; 43 per 100 for fixed line and 121 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2018)

General Assessment

telecommunications infrastructure is modern and fully digitized, with satellite-earth stations, fiber-optic cables, and an extensive broadband network; LTE licenses providing 99% population coverage (2018)

International

country code - 354; the CANTAT-3, FARICE-1, Greenland Connect and DANICE submarine cable system provides connectivity to Canada, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, UK, Denmark, and Germany; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

43 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

146,213

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

121 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

410,662

Airports

96 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

3 (2017)

914 To 1 523 M

3 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

1 (2017)

Total

7 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

3 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

26 (2013)

Total

89 (2013)

Under 914 M

60 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

TF (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 27 (2018)

Total

33

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

102,356,809 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

3,413,950 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

43 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

5 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Reykjavik

Roadways

Paved Oiled Gravel

5,647 km (excludes urban roads) (2012)

Total

12,898 km (2012)

Unpaved

7,251 km (2012)

Military And Security Forces

no regular military forces; Icelandic Coast Guard; Icelandic National Police (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014

0.5% of GDP

2015

0.3% of GDP

2016

0.3% of GDP

2017

0.3% of GDP

2018

0.3% of GDP

Military Note

Iceland is the only NATO member that has no standing military force; defense of Iceland remains a NATO commitment and NATO maintains an air policing presence in Icelandic airspace; Iceland participates in international peacekeeping missions with the civilian-manned Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (ICRU) (2019)

Disputes International

Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; the European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority filed a suit against Iceland, claiming the country violated the Agreement on the European Economic Area in failing to pay minimum compensation to Icesave depositors

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

69 (2018)