Statistics Iceland has published data on the number of students at the upper secondary and tertiary levels and on the enrolment rate at both school levels in the middle of the autumn semester of 2006. At the same time web tables and statistics from the year 1997 have been updated.
More than 102 thousand students at all levels
During the school year 2006-2007 the total number of students in Iceland at all school levels is 102,288. At the pre-primary level there are 17,216 pupils enrolled, 43,875 at the primary and lower secondary level, 24,459 at the upper secondary level and 16,738 at the tertiary level. The number of students in Iceland has increased by 1,117 since 2005, an increase of 1.1%. The number of students at the upper secondary level has increased by 4.8% from the previous year and by 0.7% at the tertiary level.
Since 1997 the number of students at all levels has grown by 16,128, or by 18.7%. Women’s share of this increase is 10,432 (24.3%) but the number of men has increased by 5,696 (13.2%). Women are 53.2% of students at the upper secondary level and 62.3% of students at the tertiary level.
The enrolment rate of 16 year olds is down by one percentage point
The enrolment rate of 16 year olds in Iceland during the autumn term of 2006 was 93% when all modes of teaching are considered (i.e. day courses, evening school, and distance learning). The enrolment rate of 16 year olds has dropped by one percentage point since last year when it was 94%. The enrolment rate of 16 year olds has increased on average by one percentage point each year since 1999. Women attend school in greater numbers than men. The enrolment rate of 16 year old women is three percentage points higher than the rate for 16 year old men, or 94% for women and 91% for men.
There are noticeable differences in the enrolment rate of 16 year olds by domicile. In all regions the enrolment rate is 90% or higher. It is lowest in West Iceland (90%) but highest in the Northwest (96%). The enrolment rate for 17 and 18 year olds has increased by one percentage point from the previous year. A total of 85% of 17 year olds and 74% of 18 year olds attend school.
The enrolment rate of university students is greatest for 22 and 23 year olds
Statistics Iceland has for the first time calculated the enrolment rate separately for the upper secondary and tertiary levels. Previous figures applied to 16 - 29 year olds at both school levels. The new figures refer to the academic years from 1999-2000 to the present time, i.e. 2006-2007. According to these figures the enrolment rate of students at the tertiary level is greatest for 22 and 23 year olds. The enrolment rate for these cohorts is 32% for the autumn term of 2006 but was 26% seven years ago for 23 year olds. The enrolment rate has therefore increased by six percentage points during this period. Figure 2 clearly depicts the growing number of students at the tertiary level since 1999 by age.
Icelandic students abroad
Icelandic students abroad who are registered in Statistics Iceland’s database were 2,308 in the autumn term of 2006. Almost one-half, or 48% (1,109) were studying in Denmark. The second largest number of students abroad is found in the USA, with 304 Icelandic students (13.2%), and thereafter in the UK with 223 Icelandic students (9.7%). Icelandic students go far and wide. In the autumn term of 2006 they were studying in 34 countries. From the year 1999 there have been Icelanders registered as students in 49 countries in all continents.
Statistics Iceland gets its information on students abroad from the Icelandic Student Loan Fund. Students who are not registered with the fund do therefore not appear in these figures. Statistics from other countries show that Icelandic students abroad are underestimated in these figures. This is most evident for Icelandic students studying in the Nordic countries.
About the data
Information is gathered directly from the schools and refers to the number of students in the middle of October. Each student is only counted once even if he is studying in two schools. The enrolment rate is computed by classifying students by age and domicile on December 1, 2006 and computing their proportion of the relevant age group.