Iceland at a glance

Facts & Figures

  • Inhabitants per km²:   3,1 Inhabitants (Germany: 229, UK: 261)
  • Average age:  35,6 years (Germany: 45 years)
  • Sheep & Horse:  77.000 horses, 470.000 sheeps (1,5 sheep per inhabitant)
  • Earthquakes:   45 per day (most of them are very week)
  • Telephone book:   The Icelandic telephone book is sorted by first names!
  • Belief in Elves:   8 % believe for sure, 16,5 % likely, 31 % possible, 21,5 % unlikely, 13,5% do not believe, Rest: no opinion
  • Penismuseum:  You can find 282 exhibits in the penis Museum of Iceland. Hamster: 2 mm, Pot whale: 1,7 m
  • Area:   100.000 km² (UK: 243.600, USA: 9,8 Mio.)
  • Coastline:   4.970 km
  • Highest peak:   2.110 m (Vatnajökull Glacier)
  • Glacier area:   11% of the total area
  • Number of inhabitants:   335.000 (2016),  198.000 in Reykjavik, 93% urban population
  • Religion:   Evangelic 80,7 %, Catholic 2,5 %, Free Church Reykjavik 2,4%, others 14,4 %
  • Life expectancy:   81 years (country comparison to the world: 19)
  • GDP :   $ 13 Billion (2015)
  • GDP per capita:   $ 39.900 (country comparison to the world: 28)
  • GDP real growth rate:   4,0% (2015)
  • GDP by sector of origin:   74 % service, 20 % industry, 6 % agriculture
  • Unemployment rate:   4,0% (2015)
  • Inflation rate:   1,6% (2015)
  • Farm products:   Potatoes, Vegetables, Sheep, Chicken, Pork, Cattle, Fish, Milk products
  • Industry products:   Fish processing, Aluminium melting, Ferrosilicon, geothermal power, water power, Tourism
  • Export:   $ 5 billion (2015). Fish, Fish products, Aluminium, Meat products, Ferrosilicon, diatomite
  • Import:   $ 4,4 billion (2015) Machinery, Oil Products, Food, Textile
  • Electricity production:   16,7 billion kWh, installed power 2,6 GW, approx. 99 % renewable
  • Streets:   Total length 12.869 km, 4.500 km on asphalt, (Note: no trains)
  • Expenditure for education:   7,4 % of GDP (country comparison to the world:14)
  • Exchange rate:   1 $ = 100,4 ISK (Date: 30.01.18)
  • Independency:   From 1918 – 1944 Iceland was a sovereign state under the crown of Denmark. Iceland has been independent since 17.6.1944.
  • Chief of state:   Chief of state - Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, Head of government: Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir (since 30 November 2017)


Source: CIA World Factbook (Date 30.10.2016), Geo Special, 4/2012.

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