IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Iceland

Republic of Iceland

340,566
Population (as of Feb. 8, 2019)

266,741
Registered Voters (as of June 1, 2024)

75.71%
Average Turnout

18
Elections in our database

V-Dem* Score: 0.844
Regimes of the World Classification: Liberal Democracy
*Varieties of Democracy Electoral Democracy Index (2024)

CEDAW Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: July 24, 1980
Ratified Date: June 18, 1985

SIGI Score: N/A

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: March 30, 2007
Ratified Date: Sept. 23, 2016

HDI* Score: 0.972
Category: Very High
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Icelandic Presidency	None	Head of State
Icelandic Parliament	Althing	Assembly

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Halla TÓMASDÓTTIR (since 1 August 2024)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Kristrún FROSTADÓTTIR (since 21 December 2024)
Assembly: Iceland has a unicameral Parliament (Althingi) with 63 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by plurality vote to serve a 4-year term.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the president with the approval of the parliament.
In the Parliament (Althing), 54 members are elected through an open-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms and 9 members are elected by open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms.
- There are six multi-member districts. Each of nine compensatory seats is assigned by the election commission to corresponds to a multi-member district. These seats are awarded to parties from the same open lists in order to make the parties' overall seat shares proportional to their national vote shares. Parties must clear a 5 percent threshold to win these compensatory seats.

Elections

2024-11-30
Icelandic Parliament
Votes 215,216
Registered 266,741
Turnout 80.68

2024-06-01
Icelandic Presidency
Votes 215,635
Registered 266,935
Turnout 80.78

2021-09-25
Icelandic Parliament
Votes 203,978
Registered 254,586
Turnout 80.12

2020-06-27
Icelandic Presidency
Votes 168,821
Registered 252,217
Turnout 66.93

2017-10-28
Icelandic Parliament
Votes 201,777
Registered 248,502
Turnout 81.2

2016-10-29
Icelandic Parliament
Votes 195,204
Registered 246,511
Turnout 79.19

2016-06-25
Icelandic Presidency
Votes 185,390
Registered 245,004
Turnout 75.67

2013-04-27
Icelandic Parliament
Votes 193,792
Registered 235,495
Turnout 82.29

2012-10-20
Referendum
Votes 115,980
Registered 236,903
Turnout 48.96

2012-06-30
Icelandic Presidency
Votes 163,251
Registered 235,743
Turnout 69.25

2011-04-09
Referendum
Votes 175,114
Registered 232,422
Turnout 75.34

2010-03-06
Referendum
Votes 144,231
Registered 227,896
Turnout 63.29

2009-04-25
Icelandic Parliament
Votes 193,934
Registered 227,889
Turnout 85.1

2008-06-28
Icelandic Presidency
Votes -
Registered -
Turnout -

2007-05-12
Icelandic Parliament
Votes 185,071
Registered 221,368
Turnout 83.6

2004-06-26
Icelandic Presidency
Votes 134,374
Registered 213,553
Turnout 62.92

2003-05-10
Icelandic Parliament
Votes 185,311
Registered 211,289
Turnout 87.7

1999-05-18
Icelandic Parliament
Votes 169,424
Registered 201,525
Turnout 84.07

Election For	Date	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Icelandic Parliament	2024-11-30	215,216	266,741	80.68
Icelandic Presidency	2024-06-01	215,635	266,935	80.78
Icelandic Parliament	2021-09-25	203,978	254,586	80.12
Icelandic Presidency	2020-06-27	168,821	252,217	66.93
Icelandic Parliament	2017-10-28	201,777	248,502	81.2
Icelandic Parliament	2016-10-29	195,204	246,511	79.19
Icelandic Presidency	2016-06-25	185,390	245,004	75.67
Icelandic Parliament	2013-04-27	193,792	235,495	82.29
Referendum	2012-10-20	115,980	236,903	48.96
Icelandic Presidency	2012-06-30	163,251	235,743	69.25
Referendum	2011-04-09	175,114	232,422	75.34
Referendum	2010-03-06	144,231	227,896	63.29
Icelandic Parliament	2009-04-25	193,934	227,889	85.1
Icelandic Presidency	2008-06-28	-	-	-
Icelandic Parliament	2007-05-12	185,071	221,368	83.6
Icelandic Presidency	2004-06-26	134,374	213,553	62.92
Icelandic Parliament	2003-05-10	185,311	211,289	87.7
Icelandic Parliament	1999-05-18	169,424	201,525	84.07

Voter Turnout

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