On the occasion of the Icelandic Museum Day on the 13th of July, Statistics Iceland publishes information on museums and related activities in the years 1995–2006. In the year 2006, there were 158 museums open to the public, compared with 97 a decade earlier. The number of visitors has increased over this period from 830,000 up to 1.4 million, which equals a 74% increase. The total number of visitors is almost equal to the number of cinema goers, which numbered 1.5 million in 2006. From the year 2000 and onwards, the number of museum visitors has increased appreciably after having been almost stable in the latter half of the 1990s. The same applies for the number of museums. It can be argued that the increase in the number of visitors in recent years is due to a growing supply of exhibitions on offer, expanded number of exhibition days, and last but not least to a growth in tourism to and within the country.

Historical museums, regional and municipal museums excluded, attract most visitors or 434,000 guests in 2006. Visitors to art museums were a little fewer in 2006, or 407,000.  Visitors to other museums are significantly fewer.

Visitors in 2006 are divided between different kinds of museums as follows: historical museums 30%, art museums 28%, regional and municipal museums 21%, aquariums and zoos 12%, and natural history museums 9%.

Roughly one-half of visitors visited museums in the capital region (about 786,000), or equal to 55 per cent of total number of visitors in 2006. The share of the capital region has declined somewhat in recent years after having retained a 71 per cent share in 1995. The share of other regions in 2006 was as follows: Southwest 6%, West 5%, Westfjords 3%, Northwest 4%, Northeast 8%, East 5% and South 14%.

In recent years, the number of special exhibitions has increased significantly. In 2006, 272 special exhibitions were opened, compared to 107 in the year 1997.

In the summer of 2006, paid employees of museums and related activities in the summer numbered about 700 compared to 440 in the summer of 1995. Paid employees during the winter are considerably fewer.

The figures include museums and special branches of museums, science centres and permanent exhibitions open for public display.

Statistics