Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iceland

Iceland: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) was -1.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
-1.1%
Change on year
up 57.8%
World rank
49th
of 156 countries
All-time high
12.4%
in 2016
All-time low
-11.2%
in 2008
Years of data
52
1972–2023

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iceland, 1972–2023

-10-50510197219972023

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Iceland recorded -1.1% for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in 2023.

That represents a change of up 57.8% on the previous year and down 34.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iceland peaked at 12.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, -11.2%, in 2008.

Iceland ranks 49th of 156 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) in Iceland, 1972 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
1972 0.6%
1973 -0.1% -109.3%
1974 -2.2% +3793.3%
1975 -2.2% +2.8%
1976 1.0% -145.2%
1977 -0.3% -131.7%
1978 -0.0% -96.4%
1979 -0.1% +1050.6%
1980 0.5% -445.7%
1981 0.9% +104.8%
1982 0.8% -16.1%
1983 -2.2% -386.6%
1984 0.9% -142.1%
1985 -1.8% -291.3%
1986 -3.8% +112.1%
1987 -2.1% -44.9%
1988 -3.3% +56.6%
1989 -3.2% -1.1%
1990 -2.5% -23.3%
1991 -3.6% +43.4%
1992 -2.5% -29.4%
1993 -2.9% +16.3%
1994 -2.8% -5.8%
1995 -2.3% -15.5%
1996 -1.1% -52.7%
1997 0.4% -136.6%
1998 1.2% +186.0%
1999 2.6% +129.2%
2000 2.6% -2.6%
2001 -0.1% -102.2%
2002 -1.2% +1957.0%
2003 -2.0% +66.4%
2004 0.8% -138.6%
2005 4.9% +544.3%
2006 6.1% +25.5%
2007 5.0% -19.0%
2008 -11.2% -326.7%
2009 -7.6% -32.0%
2010 -5.8% -23.8%
2011 -6.2% +6.2%
2012 -2.1% -65.8%
2013 -0.8% -62.1%
2014 1.1% -241.0%
2015 0.2% -80.4%
2016 12.4% +5518.4%
2017 2.2% -81.9%
2018 1.5% -33.5%
2019 -0.9% -160.8%
2020 -7.9% +767.3%
2021 -7.1% -10.1%
2022 -2.6% -64.0%
2023 -1.1% -57.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s -0.4% -2.2% 1.0% 8
1980s -1.3% -3.8% 0.9% 10
1990s -1.3% -3.6% 2.6% 10
2000s -0.3% -11.2% 6.1% 10
2010s 0.2% -6.2% 12.4% 10
2020s -4.6% -7.9% -1.1% 4

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 46 Saint Lucia -0.9% compare
  2. 47 Guatemala -0.9% compare
  3. 48 Albania -1.0% compare
  4. 50 Kazakhstan -1.1% compare
  5. 51 Belize -1.2% compare
  6. 52 Canada -1.2% compare

See the full ranking of 182 places →

More public sector data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iceland?
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iceland was -1.1% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 12.4% in 2016.
What is the lowest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was -11.2% in 2008.
How does Iceland rank for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-)?
Iceland ranks 49th out of 156 countries with data for 2023.
Is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is down 34.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/net-lending-net-borrowing-percent-of-gdp/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
182 places, 5,229 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.