The number of students at levels above compulsory education decreased by 0.2% from the autumn of 2012
There were 45,378 students at levels above compulsory education in Iceland in the autumn of 2013, a decrease of 84 students from the previous year (-0.2%), mostly due to fewer students at the upper secondary level. There were 20,400 males in education and 24,978 females. The number of males decreased by 170 from the previous year (-0.8%) and the number of females increased by 86 (0.3%).
There were 24,711 students at the upper secondary level, a decrease of 3.1% from the previous year, and 828 students at the post-secondary non-tertiary level, a decrease of 4.7%. There were 19,839 students at the tertiary level as a whole, an increase of 3.9% from the autumn of 2012. These changes can partly be explained by changes in the population, as there were 200 fewer 16-20 year old inhabitants and 700 more 21-25 year old inhabitants at the end of 2013 than at the end of 2012.
The enrolment rate is lowest among immigrants
On average more than 95% of 16 year olds attended school in the autumn of 2012 and 2013, and almost 83% of 18 year olds. The figure below depicts the enrolment rate by students’ origin. The figure shows that the enrolment rate was lowest among immigrants, with just over 86% of 16 year olds and almost 65% of 18 year olds attending school on average in 2012 and 2013. At the same time more than 97% of 16 year olds who are second generation immigrants attended school but the rate had dropped to 75% by the age of 18. At the age of 18 the enrolment rate was highest among students who were born abroad with Icelandic background; almost 89% of this group attend school in 2012 and 2013. Immigrants are those who were born abroad and have both parents of foreign origin. Exchange students, who stay in Iceland for one year, are included in the data for immigrants. Second generation immigrants are those who were born in Iceland of two immigrant parents. It should be noted that there are only between 30 and 40 second generation immigrants in these age groups when the data for two years have been added up.
About the data
Information is gathered directly from the schools and from the computer programme INNA used by schools at the upper secondary level, and refers to the number of students in the middle of October each year. The enrolment rate is computed by classifying students by age and domicile on December 1 each year and computing their proportion of the relevant age group. The data on the students’ origin come from a Statistics Iceland database on the population according to immigrant status.