Over 80% of teaching personnel in upper secondary schools were licensed teachers in the autumn of 2020. The proportion of licensed teachers has decreased in recent years, but it was 86.1% in the autumn of 2011.
For the past twenty years, a greater share of female teachers than male teachers have been licensed teachers in upper secondary schools. In 2020-2021, 82.9% of female teachers and 76.6% of male teachers held a teaching licence.
For the first time the number of female headmasters was higher than the number of male headmasters in the autumn of 2020, when there were 18 female headmasters and 16 males.
One in four teachers is 60 years old or older
The largest age group among upper secondary teachers was 50-59 year olds, or 27.1% of all teaching staff in November 2020. A total of 26.7% belonged to the 40-49 years old age group and 25.0% were 60 years old and older. A total of 18.2% of teachers were 30-39 years old while 3.0% were under the age of 30. Women outnumber men in age groups 30-59 years, but men were more numerous in the oldest age group of 60 years old and older.
Around 2,500 persons worked in upper secondary schools in November 2020
There were just over 2,500 staff members in upper secondary schools in Iceland in November 2020 holding almost 2,400 full-time equivalent jobs. Thereof teachers were 1,770 working 1,723 full-time equivalent jobs. Women were just over 61% of staff members while men were almost 39%.
About the data
Data on personnel in schools at the upper secondary level come from the State Accounting Office and private schools. The data include all personnel who were employed by schools at the upper secondary level in November each year. Teachers include all staff members who had the occupation of a teacher or a manager related to teaching during the reference month.