Long Live the People in Iceland

In 2018, the average life expectancy of men in Iceland was 81.0 years, and 84.1 years for women, according to Statistics Iceland.  Since 1988, the life expectancy in Iceland has increased by roughly six years for men and roughly four years for women.

Between 2008 and 2017, men in Switzerland ranked number one in Europe in terms of life expectancy, at 80.7 years, followed by men in Iceland (80.6 years), Liechtenstein (80.3 years), Sweden (80.0 years), and Spain and Norway (79.7 years). Men in Ukraine had the lowest life expectancy, or 66 years.

Among women, Iceland ranked number seven, with a life expectancy of 84 years. Women in Spain ranked number one, with a life expectancy of 85.7 years, followed by those in France (85.5 years), Switzerland (85.0), Italy (84.9), Liechtenstein (84.4), and Luxemburg (84.1). Women in Ukraine had the lowest life expectancy, or 76.1 years.

In Iceland, the life expectancy in 2018 of 30-year-old people was higher among those with more education. Men with university education could expect to live almost five years longer than men who had completed grade school only. For women that difference was 3.5 years.

The infant mortality rate in Iceland 2008-2017 was the lowest in Europe, or 1.8 out of 1,000 live births. It was the second lowest in Finland, or 2.2 out of 1,000 live births, but the highest in Turkey, or 11.7 out of 1,000 live births.