Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Iceland fits inside Norway 6.1 times
Iceland: 103,000 km² (2024) · Norway: 624,500 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Norway’s coastline is 5.1 times as long as Iceland’s
Iceland: 4,970 km (2026 edition) · Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Norway’s highest peak towers 359 m above Iceland’s
Iceland: 2,110 m (2026 edition) · Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 16% of Iceland, versus 2.7% of Norway
Iceland: 16.2% (2024) · Norway: 2.7% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Norway has 14 times as many people as Iceland
Iceland: 392,404 (2025) · Norway: 5.61 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Norway is 4 times as densely populated as Iceland
Iceland: 4 per km² (2025) · Norway: 15 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iceland are 1.6 cm taller than in Norway
Iceland: 182.1 cm (2019) · Norway: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Iceland are 2.5 cm taller than in Norway
Iceland: 168.9 cm (2019) · Norway: 166.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Norway is 3.7 years older than in Iceland
Iceland: 35.8 years (2023) · Norway: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iceland have 0.1 more children on average than in Norway
Iceland: 1.56 children per woman (2024) · Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
19% of people in Norway are 65 or older, versus 16% in Iceland
Iceland: 16% (2025) · Norway: 19.1% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Norway hosts 3% more refugees per resident than Iceland
Iceland: 21.6 per 1,000 (2025) · Norway: 22.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Iceland: no data · Norway: 23.2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Norway has 3 official languages, Iceland 1
Iceland: 1 (2026) · Norway: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Norway’s economy is 14 times the size of Iceland’s
Iceland: $38.6 billion (2025) · Norway: $531 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 25% more per person than Iceland
Iceland: Int$83,431 (2025) · Norway: Int$104,044 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iceland than in Norway (Gini 0.3 points higher)
Iceland: 26.8 (2019) · Norway: 26.5 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Norway and Iceland are practically level
Iceland: 0.1% (2019) · Norway: 0.2% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in Norway, versus 3.6% in Iceland
Iceland: 3.6% (2025) · Norway: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Norway spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, Iceland 0%
Iceland: 0% (2025) · Norway: 3.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Norway’s central government collects 25% of GDP in tax, Iceland’s 23%
Iceland: 23.2% (2023) · Norway: 24.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Iceland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Norway’s
Iceland: 118% (2025) · Norway: 91% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Norway spends 9% more on health per person than Iceland
Iceland: $7,642 (2024) · Norway: $8,296 (2023)
How long do people live?
Norway and Iceland are practically level
Iceland: 82.8 years (2024) · Norway: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iceland is 5% more likely to die before turning one than in Norway
Iceland: 2.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Norway has 14% more doctors per person than Iceland
Iceland: 4.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Norway has 17% more hospital beds per person than Iceland
Iceland: 2.8 per 1,000 (2020) · Norway: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Norway is 12% higher than in Iceland
Iceland: 10.4 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 11.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Iceland are obese, versus 21% in Norway
Iceland: 23.5% (2024) · Norway: 20.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
13% of adults in Norway smoke, versus 9.2% in Iceland
Iceland: 9.2% (2024) · Norway: 12.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Iceland rate their lives 0.30 points higher than in Norway
Iceland: 7.54 (2025) · Norway: 7.24 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Iceland drink 11% more alcohol than in Norway
Iceland: 7.7 litres (2023) · Norway: 7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Iceland has 39% more meat per person than Norway
Iceland: 98.1 kg (2023) · Norway: 70.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Iceland has 205 kcal more food per person per day than Norway
Iceland: 3,681 kcal (2023) · Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iceland put in 40 more hours a year than in Norway
Iceland: 1,452 hours (2023) · Norway: 1,412 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Iceland went to school 0.79 years longer than in Norway
Iceland: 13.9 years (2023) · Norway: 13.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iceland welcomed 6.1 times as many tourists per resident as Norway (2019)
Iceland: 5.58 (2019) · Norway: 0.91 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
Norway has 5 more World Heritage sites than Iceland (8 against 3)
Iceland: 3 (2026) · Norway: 8 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Norway has won 616 Olympic medals, Iceland 4
Iceland: 4 (2026 edition) · Norway: 616 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 98% in Iceland
Iceland: 98% (2024) · Norway: 99% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Iceland is 68% faster than in Norway
Iceland: 385 Mbps (2026) · Norway: 228 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iceland and Norway are practically level
Iceland: 100% (2024) · Norway: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
94% of people in Iceland live in cities, versus 84% in Norway
Iceland: 94% (2025) · Norway: 84% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iceland has 121 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109
Iceland: 121 (2024) · Norway: 109 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iceland: no data · Norway: 3,885 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Iceland: 11.07 (2023) · Norway: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Norway, but only 0.6% of Iceland
Iceland: 0.6% (2024) · Norway: 33.2% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iceland emits 45% more CO₂ than someone in Norway
Iceland: 9.7 t (2024) · Norway: 6.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of Iceland’s electricity is renewable, versus 99% in Norway
Iceland: 100% (2024) · Norway: 99% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Norway carries 46% more fine dust than in Iceland
Iceland: 4.6 µg/m³ (2024) · Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 78% more likely to be murdered in Iceland than in Norway
Iceland: 1.3 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iceland are 34% deadlier than in Norway
Iceland: 3.9 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 2.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iceland is on average 0.4 °C warmer than Norway
Iceland: 2°C (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Iceland gets 14% more rain than Norway
Iceland: 1,439 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iceland bigger than Norway?
Norway is larger. Iceland fits inside Norway 6.1 times.
Which has more people, Iceland or Norway?
Norway has 14 times as many people as Iceland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iceland or Norway?
Norway and Iceland are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 82.8 years in Iceland and 83.2 in Norway.
Are people taller in Iceland or Norway?
Men in Iceland are 1.6 cm taller than in Norway (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
