Share of female sole proprietors in Iceland
Iceland: Share of female sole proprietors was 39.9% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Share of female sole proprietors in Iceland, 2014–2023
Source: World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026. Measured in % of sole proprietors.
Analysis
In 2023, share of female sole proprietors in Iceland stood at 39.9%.
That represents a change of down 5.3% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of female sole proprietors in Iceland peaked at 44.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 39.2%, in 2016.
That places Iceland 28th out of 78 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of female sole proprietors in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % of sole proprietors | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 40.4% | — |
| 2015 | 39.9% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 39.2% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 40.4% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 44.5% | +10.0% |
| 2019 | 42.1% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 43.0% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 42.6% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 42.1% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 39.9% | -5.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 41.1% | 39.2% | 44.5% | 6 |
| 2020s | 41.9% | 39.9% | 43.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 25 Uzbekistan 41.1% compare
- 26 Malta 41.0% compare
- 27 Benin 39.9% compare
- 29 Netherlands 39.6% compare
- 30 Montenegro 39.6% compare
- 31 Liberia 38.9% compare
More private sector data for Iceland
- Merchandise trade 46.9% (2025)
- Food imports 11.1% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 71.1% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 10.94 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 46.9% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 14.0% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 7.17 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 18,264 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1858 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of female sole proprietors in Iceland?
- Share of female sole proprietors in Iceland was 39.9% in 2023, according to World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026.
- What is the highest share of female sole proprietors recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 44.5% in 2018.
- What is the lowest share of female sole proprietors recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.2% in 2016.
- How does Iceland rank for share of female sole proprietors?
- Iceland ranks 28th out of 78 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of female sole proprietors rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026, published as part of Share of female sole proprietors (% of sole proprietors). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of female sole proprietors is the proportion of female newly registered sole proprietors out of the total number of newly registered sole proprietors in the economy in the calendar year. A sole proprietorship is a business entity owned and managed by a single individual who is indistinguishable from the business and personally liable.