Society
Society
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Girls from the elementary school Síðuskoli in Akureyri, North Iceland, on a boat trip Photo:Þorgeir Baldursson
Age structure of the population in selected countries 2005. Ranked by share of population 65 year old and over. Data for Iceland is for 2007. |
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Iceland is a modern welfare state, that guarantees access for its citizens to universal health care, education and a high degree of social security. Spending on health, education, social security, welfare, and other social affairs amounted to just over a 30% of GDP in 2006. Life expectancy, which is among the highest in the world, and one of the lowest infant mortality rates (1.3 per 1000 live births in 2007) testify to the advanced status of health care in Iceland, both primary health care and hospitals. The Icelandic health care system is a tax-financed universal system for all persons who have had legal residence in Iceland for more than 6 months. Healthcare services are provided mostly free of charge, although user charges have been on the rise. The main exception is dental health care, where adult patients are charged the full cost of service, while children under 17 years of age have most of the cost refunded.
The standard of education is high, and public education is compulsory between the ages of six and sixteen. Good command of English and the Scandinavian languages is widespread. Education is offered free of charge or at a nominal fee at three levels. First, there are ten years of compulsory education at the primary level (age 6-16). Second, there are four years at the upper secondary level, which provides general education and vocational training in a wide range of fields. Finally, higher education is offered at several universities. In 2005, 30.6% of the employed labour force held a university degree. Roughly one out of every five university degrees held by Icelanders is obtained in other countries. As in most OECD countries, university enrolment of those completing secondary education has increased substantially in Iceland in recent years. In 2004, the rate was around 79%, which is the third highest among the OECD countries. By comparison, the enrolment rate among the OECD countries was 53% on average. The ratio of pre-school enrolment is also one of the highest among OECD countries.
Economy of Iceland,Central Bank of Iceland
