1.1. Contact organisation
Statistics Iceland
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Social statistics
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Borgartún 21a
IS-105 Reykjavík
Iceland
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
22 March 2024
2.1. Metadata last certified
23 September 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
23 September 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
23 September 2024
3.1. Data description
The data present the results of the 2021 EU census on population and housing, following Regulation (EC) 763/2008; Regulation (EU) 2017/543; Regulation (EU) 2017/712 and Regulation (EU) 2017/881.
3.1.1. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on census methodology
None
3.2. Classification system
The following classification systems should be used:
- Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS 2021)
- International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED-2011)
- International standard classification of occupations (ISCO-08)
- Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE Rev 2)
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The information is given separately for each census topic.
3.4.1. Statistical concepts and definitions - Usual residence
‘Usual residence’ is the place where a person normally spends the daily period of rest, regardless of temporary absences for purposes of recreation, holidays, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage.
The following persons alone shall be considered to be usual residents of the geographical area in question:
(i) those who have lived in their place of usual residence for a continuous period of at least 12 months before the reference date
(ii) those who arrived in their place of usual residence during the 12 months before the reference date with the intention of staying there for at least one year
Where the circumstances described in point (i) or (ii) cannot be established, ‘usual residence’ shall mean the place of legal or registered residence.
3.4.2. Statistical concepts and definitions - Sex
‘Sex’ refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women.
3.4.3. Statistical concepts and definitions - Age
The age reached in completed years at the reference date.
3.4.4. Statistical concepts and definitions - Marital status
Marital status is defined as the (legal) conjugal status of an individual in relation to the marriage laws (or customs) of the country (that is the de jure status).
A person shall be classified according to his/her most recently acquired legal marital status at the reference date.
Same sex marriage are by law classified as regular marriages. Registered partnerships (is. Staðfest samvist) is still recognized as a concept but without any legal difference from marriage, and classified the same in the National Register of Persons.
3.4.5. Statistical concepts and definitions - Family status
The family nucleus is defined in a narrow sense; that is as two or more persons who belong to the same household and who are related as husband and wife, as partners in a registered partnership, as partners in a consensual union, or as parent and child. Thus, a family comprises a couple without children or a couple with one or more children, or a lone parent with one or more children. This family concept limits relationships between children and adults to direct (first-degree) relationships, that is, between parents and children.
3.4.6. Statistical concepts and definitions - Household status
Private households are identified using the ‘household- dwelling concept’.
The household-dwelling concept considers all persons living in a housing unit to be members of the same household, such that there is one household per occupied housing unit.
3.4.7. Statistical concepts and definitions - Current activity status
‘Current activity status’ is the current relationship of a person to economic activity, using November 2020 as the reference period. Persons receiving remuneration equivalent to one hour‘s pay were considered employed, also persons receiving remuneration i December if they had worked 11 months during the 12 months prior to the Census date. Unemployed persons are persons registered as unemployed if they are not employed. Persons, 15 years or younger on the Census date were not considered to be of working age.
3.4.8. Statistical concepts and definitions - Occupation
Occupation refers to the type of work done in a job. ‘Type of work’ is described by the main tasks and duties of the work.
Persons are classified according to the occupation they had during their most recent employment. The categories included in the breakdown 'occupation' correspond to the major groups of the ISCO-08 (COM) classification.
Persons under the age of 15 years, as well as persons aged 15 or over that were:
- not economically active during the reference week, or
- unemployed, never worked before (i.e. they have never been employed in their lives)
are classified under 'not applicable'.
The allocation of a person within the breakdowns of the topics 'Occupation', 'Industry' and 'Status in employment' is based on the same job.
3.4.9. Statistical concepts and definitions - Industry
Industry (branch of economic activity) refers to the kind of production or activity of the establishment or similar unit in which the job of an employed person is located.
Persons doing more than one job shall be allocated an industry (branch of economic activity) based on their main job, which is to be identified according to the time spent on the job or (if not available) the income received.
The breakdown by industry is available for persons aged 15 or over that were:
- employed during the reference week, or
- unemployed during the reference week, but have ever been in employment
Persons are classified according to the industry they worked in during their most recent employment. The categories included in the breakdown 'industry' list the 21 sections of the NACE Rev. 2 classification and appropriate aggregates
3.4.10. Statistical concepts and definitions - Status in employment
An ‘employee’ is a person who works in a ‘paid employment’ job, that is a job where the explicit or implicit contract of employment gives the incumbent a basic remuneration, which is independent of the revenue of the unit for which he/ she works. An ‘employer’ is a person who, working on his or her own account or with a small number of partners, holds a ‘self- employment’ job and, in this capacity, on a continuous basis (including the reference week) has engaged one or more persons to work for him/her as ‘employees’.
Data on unpaid family workers were not available in the registers.
3.4.11. Statistical concepts and definitions - Place of work
The location of the place of work is the geographical area in which a currently employed person does his/her job.
The place of work of those mostly working at home is the same as their usual residence. The term ‘working’ refers to work done as an ‘employed person’ as defined under the topic ‘Current activity status’. ‘Mostly’ working at home means that the person spends all or most of the time working at home, and less, or no, time in a place of work other than at home.
Information on persons who do not have a fixed place of work but who report to a fixed address at the beginning of their work period (for example bus drivers, airline crew, operators of street market stalls that are not removed at the end of the workday) refer to that address. This group may also include individuals who travel to work, on a regular basis, across the border to a neighbouring country. Breakdown ‘No fixed place of work (inside or outside the Member State)’ includes all persons without fixed place of work but will also refer to persons such as sailors, fishermen and offshore workers for whom it may not be possible to allocate the place of work.
3.4.12. Statistical concepts and definitions - Educational attainment
Educational attainment refers to the highest level successfully completed in the educational system of the country where the education was received. All education which is relevant to the completion of a level is taken into account even if this was provided outside schools and universities.
3.4.13. Statistical concepts and definitions - Size of the locality
A locality is defined as a distinct population cluster that is an area defined by population living in neighboring or contiguous buildings.
Such buildings may be either:
- form a continuous built-up area with a clearly recognizable street formation; or
- though not part of such a built-up area, comprise a group of buildings to which a locally recognized place name is uniquely attached; or
- though not meeting either of the above two criteria, constitute a group of buildings, none of which is separated from its nearest neighbor by more than 200 meters.
3.4.14. Statistical concepts and definitions - Place of birth
Information on the ‘Place of birth’ is collected according to the place of usual residence of the mother at the time of the birth, or, if not available, the place in which the birth took place, on the basis of international boundaries existing on 1 January 2021.
For reporting countries that are EU Member States, the sub-category under the category 'other EU Member State' that refers to their Member State does not apply. For reporting countries that are not EU Member States, the category 'Other EU Member State' shall be read as 'EU Member State'.
The category 'Information not classifiable according to current borders' covers those persons whose country of birth existed at the time of the birth, but no longer exists at the time of the census, and who cannot be allocated uniquely to one country existing at the time of the census, i.e. according to current borders.
The category 'outside any country' covers persons for whom the usual residence of the mother at the time of the birth is not known and who where born outside the borders of any country, for example at sea or in the air.
3.4.15. Statistical concepts and definitions - Country of citizenship
Citizenship is defined as the particular legal bond between an individual and his/her State, acquired by birth or naturalization, whether by declaration, option, marriage or other means according to the national legislation. A person with two or more citizenships is allocated to only one country of citizenship, to be determined in the following order of precedence:
- reporting country
- if the person does not have the citizenship of the reporting country: other EU Member State
- if the person does not have the citizenship of another EU Member State: other country outside the European Union.
'EU Member State' means a country that is a member of the European Union on 1 January 2021. The list of countries in the breakdown 'Country of citizenship' shall only apply for statistical purposes.
For reporting countries that are EU Member States, the sub-category of the category 'citizenship not of reporting country, but other EU Member State' that refers to their Member State does not apply. For reporting countries that are not EU Member States, the category 'citizenship not of reporting country, but other EU Member State' shall be changed to 'citizenship of an EU Member State'.
Persons who are neither citizens of any country nor stateless and who have some but not all of the rights and duties associated with citizenship shall be classified under 'recognised non-citizens'.
3.4.16. Statistical concepts and definitions - Year of arrival in the country
The year of arrival is the calendar year in which a person most recently established usual residence in the country.
The data for 2021 refer to the time span between 1 January 2021 and the reference date.
3.4.17. Statistical concepts and definitions - Residence one year before
The relationship between the current place of usual residence and the place of usual residence one year prior to the census.
For all persons that have changed their usual residence more than once within the year prior to the reference date, the previous place of usual residence is the last usual residence from which they moved to their current place of usual residence.
3.4.18. Statistical concepts and definitions - Housing arrangements
The topic ‘Housing arrangements’ covers the whole population and refers to the type of housing in which a person usually resides at the time of the census. This covers all persons who are usual residents in different types of living quarters, or who do not have a usual residence and stay temporarily in some type of living quarters, or who are roofless, sleeping rough or in emergency shelters, when the census is taken.
'Other housing units' are huts, cabins, shacks, shanties, caravans, houseboats, barns, mills, caves or any other shelter used for human habitation at the time of the census, irrespective if it was designed for human habitation.
'Collective living quarters' are premises which are designed for habitation by large groups of individuals or several households and which are used as the usual residence of at least one person at the time of the census.
'Occupied conventional dwellings', 'other housing units' and 'collective living quarters' together represent ‘living quarters'. Any 'living quarter' must be the usual residence of at least one person.
The sum of occupied conventional dwellings and other housing units represents 'housing units'.
The homeless (persons who are not usual residents in any living quarter category) can be persons living in the streets without a shelter that would fall within the scope of living quarters (primary homelessness) or persons moving frequently between temporary accommodation (secondary homelessness).
3.4.19. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of family nucleus
The family nucleus is defined in a narrow sense; that is as two or more persons who belong to the same household and who are related as husband and wife, as partners in a registered partnership, as partners in a consensual union, or as parent and child. Thus a family comprises a couple without children or a couple with one or more children, or a lone parent with one or more children. This family concept limits relationships between children and adults to direct (first-degree) relationships, that is, between parents and children.
Child (son/daughter) refers to a blood, step- or adopted son or daughter (regardless of age or marital status) who has usual residence in the household of at least one of the parents, and who has no partner or own children in the same household. Foster children are not included. A son or daughter who lives with a spouse, with a registered partner, with a partner in a consensual union, or with one or more own children, is not considered to be a child. A child who alternates between two households (for instance if his or her parents are divorced) shall consider the one where he or she spends the majority of the time as his or her household. Where an equal amount of time is spent with both parents the household shall be the one where the child is found at the time on census night.
The term couple shall include married couples, couples in registered partnerships, and couples who live in a consensual union.
Registered partnerships are not reported as these have been legally merged with marriage
Two persons are considered to be partners in a 'consensual union' when they
- belong to the same household, and
- have a marriage-like relationship with each other, and
- are not married to or in a registered partnership with each other.
'Skip-generation households' (households consisting of a grandparent or grandparents and one or more grandchildren, but no parent of those grandchildren) are not included in the definition of a family.
3.4.20. Statistical concepts and definitions - Size of family nucleus
The family nucleus is defined in a narrow sense; that is as two or more persons who belong to the same household and who are related as husband and wife, as partners in a registered partnership, as partners in a consensual union, or as parent and child. Thus a family comprises a couple without children or a couple with one or more children, or a lone parent with one or more children. This family concept limits relationships between children and adults to direct (first-degree) relationships, that is, between parents and children.
3.4.21. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of private household
Private households are identified using the ‘household- dwelling concept’.
The household-dwelling concept considers all persons living in a housing unit to be members of the same household, such that there is one household per occupied housing unit.
3.4.22. Statistical concepts and definitions - Size of private household
Private households are identified using the ‘household- dwelling concept’.
The household-dwelling concept considers all persons living in a housing unit to be members of the same household, such that there is one household per occupied housing unit.
3.4.23. Statistical concepts and definitions - Tenure status of households
The topic ‘Tenure status of households’ refers to the arrangements under which a private household occupies all or part of a housing unit.
3.4.24. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of living quarter
A living quarter is housing which is the usual residence of one or more persons.
'Conventional dwellings' are structurally separate and independent premises at fixed locations which are designed for permanent human habitation and are, at the reference date, either used as a residence, or vacant, or reserved for seasonal or secondary use.
'Separate' means surrounded by walls and covered by a roof or ceiling so that one or more persons can isolate themselves. 'Independent' means having direct access from a street or a staircase, passage, gallery or grounds.
'Other housing units' are huts, cabins, shacks, shanties, caravans, houseboats, barns, mills, caves or any other shelter used for human habitation at the time of the census, irrespective if it was designed for human habitation.
'Collective living quarters' are premises which are designed for habitation by large groups of individuals or several households and which are used as the usual residence of at least one person at the time of the census.
'Occupied conventional dwellings', 'other housing units' and 'collective living quarters' together represent‘living quarters'. Any 'living quarter' must be the usual residence of at least one person.
3.4.25. Statistical concepts and definitions - Occupancy status
‘Occupied conventional dwellings’ are conventional dwellings which are the usual residence of one or more persons at the time of the census. ‘Unoccupied conventional dwellings’ are conventional dwellings which are not the usual residence of any person at the time of the census.
3.4.26. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of ownership
‘Type of ownership’ refers to the ownership of the dwelling and not to that of the land on which the dwelling stands. It shows the tenure arrangements under which the dwelling is occupied.
'Owner-occupied dwellings' are those where at least one occupant of the dwelling owns parts or the whole of the dwelling. 'Cooperative ownership' refers to ownership within the framework of a housing cooperative.
'Rented dwellings' are those where at least one occupant pays a rent for the occupation of the dwelling, and where no occupant owns parts or the whole of the dwelling.
3.4.27. Statistical concepts and definitions - Number of occupants
The number of occupants of a housing unit is the number of people for whom the housing unit is the usual residence.
3.4.28. Statistical concepts and definitions - Useful floor space
Useful floor space is defined as the floor space measured inside the outer walls excluding non-habitable cellars and attics and, in multi-dwelling buildings, all common spaces; or the total floor space of rooms falling under the concept of 'room'.
3.4.29. Statistical concepts and definitions - Number of rooms
Not applicable.
3.4.30. Statistical concepts and definitions - Density standard (floor space)
The topic ‘Density standard (floor space)’ relates the useful floor space in square meters to the number of occupants, as specified under the topic ‘Number of occupants’.
3.4.31. Statistical concepts and definitions - Density standard (number of rooms)
Not applicable.
3.4.32. Statistical concepts and definitions - Water supply system
Whether the conventional dwelling is equipped with piped water.
3.4.33. Statistical concepts and definitions - Toilet facilities
Whether the conventional dwelling is equipped with flush toilet facilities.
3.4.34. Statistical concepts and definitions - Bathing facilities
Whether the conventional dwelling is equipped with bathing facilities.
3.4.35. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of heating
Whether the conventional dwelling is equipped with a central heating. Conventional dwelling is considered as centrally heated if heating is provided either from a community heating centre or from an installation built in the building or in the conventional dwelling, established for heating purposes, without regard to the source of energy.
3.4.36. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of building
The topic ‘Dwellings by type of building’ refers to the number of dwellings in the building in which the dwelling is placed.
3.4.37. Statistical concepts and definitions - Period of construction
The topic ‘Dwellings by period of construction’ refers to the year when the building in which the dwelling is placed was completed.
3.5. Statistical unit
The EU programme for the 2021 population and housing censuses includes data on persons, private households, family nuclei, conventional dwellings and living quarters.
3.6. Statistical population
The persons enumerated in the 2021 census are those who were usually resident in the territory of the reporting country at the census reference date.
3.7. Reference area
Data are available at different levels of geographical detail in EU countries: national, NUTS2/NUTS3 regions and local administrative units (LAU), grids.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data refer to the situation in the reporting country at the census reference date.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Counts of statistical units should be expressed in numbers and where is needed rate per inhabitants enumerated in the country.
See the following sub-concepts.
5.1. EU census reference date
1 January 2021
5.2. National census reference date
1 January 2021
5.3. Differences between reference dates of national and EU census publications
No differences.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Act of parliament no 163, 21. December 2007 on Statistics Iceland and official statistics:
Reglulation No. 777, 11. July 2016 on activation and implementation of certain EU regulations regarding official statistics.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/881:
Decision no. 326/2019 of the EEA Joint Committee amending Annes XX1 (Statistics) of the EEA agreement:
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/543.
Decision no. 202/2018 of the EEA Joint Committee amending Annex XX1 (Statistics) of the EEA agreement:
Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/712:
Decision no. 203/2018 of the EEA Joint Committee amending Annex XX1 (Statistics) of the EEA agreement.
6.1.1. Bodies responsible
Statistics Iceland
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not available.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Confidentiality - Regulation (EU) 2017/712 Art 4 and 5
Icelandic Statistical Act No. 163/2007: no data may be published that can be traced back to identifiable individuals. This, however, need not apply to information that is considered to be already in the public domain. After a review of experts of the 2021 hypercube tables it was decided that data disclosure methods, such as micro data swapping or cell key method for aggregated tables were not necessary due to the fact that sensitive information were not considered to be traceable to individuals. Therefore, no data disclosure protection methods were applied on the hypercube data.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Confidentiality - Regulation (EU) 2017/712 Art 4 and 5
8.1. Release calendar
Already published.
Proportion of rental dwellings decreased between 2011 and 2021 - 18.12.2023
Many low-income households in central Reykjavík and in Ásbrú - 25.5.2023
Households in Iceland were 130,849 in the 2021 census - 19.4.2023
The labour market according to the 2021 census - 13.2.2023More than a third of the population with tertiary education - 13.1.2023
The number of immigrants has doubled since the 2011 census - 14.12.2022
The Icelandic population 359,122 in the 2021 census - 11.11.2022
8.2. Release calendar access
Statistics Iceland publishes an annual release calendar in November each year for major publications in the news section. This calendar is permanently accessable from the main page of the StatIce website. Amendments and new releases are added 14 days in advance.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice. Eurostat disseminates European statistics on its website respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably.
Decennial
See the following sub-concepts.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Press release(s) concerning the 2021 census:
Proportion of rental dwellings decreased between 2011 and 2021 - 18.12.2023
Many low-income households in central Reykjavík and in Ásbrú - 25.5.2023
Households in Iceland were 130,849 in the 2021 census - 19.4.2023
The labour market according to the 2021 census - 13.2.2023More than a third of the population with tertiary education - 13.1.2023
The number of immigrants has doubled since the 2011 census - 14.12.2022
The Icelandic population 359,122 in the 2021 census - 11.11.2022
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Publications concerning the 2021 census: Census and housing census 1st January 2021
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
On-line database on the 2021 census is available.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Census data is accessible as microdata for research purposes.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
None
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Hagskýrslusvæði í manntalinu 2021
Manntal og húsnæðistal 1. janúar 2021
Machine learning estimation of the resident population
Random Forest algorithm to adjust for Census population over-counts
The construction of Minor Statistical Output Areas in Iceland
Correcting for population overestimates by using statistical classification methods
Icelandic Regional Classification for the 2021 Census
10.7. Quality management - documentation
No reports on quality of the census have been published.
11.1. Quality assurance
All data are published with appropriate metadata. When possible, methodological papers and memos with metadata or quality related material are published or made available to the users.
In specific, critical instances, the census team has carried out small spot surveys to estimate the validity of the individual items.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
No overall quality assessment was conducted.
11.2.1. Coverage assessment
Coverage assessment of the population total was conducted and the resident population adjusted accordingly.
11.2.2. Post-enumeration survey(s)
No post-enumaration surveys are conducted.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The census data disseminated by Eurostat are addressed to policy makers, researchers, media and the general public.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No user satisfaction surveys are carried out. User inquiries are handled by the Eurostat User Support service.
12.3. Completeness
Depends on the availability of data transmitted by the National Statistical Institutes.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The census is considered more accurate than the individual administrative registers.
13.1.1. Overall accuracy - Usual residence
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.2. Overall accuracy - Sex
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.3. Overall accuracy - Age
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.4. Overall accuracy - Marital status
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.5. Overall accuracy - Family status
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.6. Overall accuracy - Household status
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.7. Overall accuracy - Current activity status
Only a small fraction (5%) of the records included economic activity on the reference date of the census. Approx. 93% of the records were based on the economic activity of the person in the reference period, and the remainder was imputed, in part using records of economic activity of the person for the year 2020.
Due to absence of records of persons who were long term unemployed, as well as unemployed and had never worked before, values were imputed based on data from the Labour Force Survey. In lieu of using the age of 15 years on the reference date as the national minimum age for economic activity, persons who turned 15 years of age in the reference year or younger were defined as being under the minimum age for economic activity, this being the criterion for attending mandatory elementary school at the date of reference.
13.1.8. Overall accuracy - Occupation
Approx. 49% of the records are based on register data plus the wage survey. Data for the remaining records are imputed.
13.1.9. Overall accuracy - Industry
For approx. 35% of the total dataset, NACE codes are not available for the individual records, but for the legal units at which they are employed. In those cases, persons are assigned the main branch of economic activity of the legal unit for which they were working. No data were imputed.
13.1.10. Overall accuracy - Status in employment
Data on employees are primarily based on records of economic activity in the reference period, whereas information on employers and own-account workers is to a large extent based on information from year-end tax returns.
All cases of contributing family workers are imputed. There are no known instances of producers‘ cooperatives in Iceland, so this classification was not used. In all approx. 1% of the data were imputed.
13.1.11. Overall accuracy - Place of work
Classification of the location of place of work is based on the NUTS-2 framework, classifying the location as either in Iceland (the territory of the member state) or not in Iceland. No data were available for the actual location outside of Iceland.
13.1.12. Overall accuracy - Educational attainment
Approx. 78% of the data on ISCED 3 and above are based on actual records, the rest were imputed.
13.1.13. Overall accuracy - Size of the locality
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
13.1.14. Overall accuracy - Place of birth
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
13.1.15. Overall accuracy - Country of citizenship
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
13.1.16. Overall accuracy - Year of arrival in the country
Data prior to 1986 are based on comparing annual individual stock data from the national register. No inference can be made for the year of arrival in 1980. 1986 and later the date are based on precise dates.
13.1.17. Overall accuracy - Residence one year before
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
13.1.18. Overall accuracy - Housing arrangements
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
13.1.19. Overall accuracy - Type of family nucleus
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.20. Overall accuracy - Size of family nucleus
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.21. Overall accuracy - Type of private household
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.22. Overall accuracy - Size of private household
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.
13.1.23. Overall accuracy - Tenure status of households
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic. Ownership data are cmplete, as well as cooperatives, while data on renters' and other types of tenure are incomplete, leading to a relatively large number of unknown tenure status.
13.1.24. Overall accuracy - Type of living quarter
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
13.1.25. Overall accuracy - Occupancy status
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
13.1.26. Overall accuracy - Type of ownership
Data on renters and other types are incomplete, while data on ownership and housing cooperatives are based on complete registers.
13.1.27. Overall accuracy - Number of occupants
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
13.1.28. Overall accuracy - Useful floor space
Useful floor space is a term intermediate between gross (including outer walls) and net (excluding outer and interior walls) floor space, both of which are in register. This item is imputed using a simple regression formula from the gross floor space. The sample used to find the model coefficients showed an adjusted R-squared of 0.99. As the imputation is only for evaluation of the space occupied by interior walls but the but other information are available in the register we count the information as being available in registers rather than imputed as only a small portion of the value for each dwelling is affected by the imputation.
13.1.29. Overall accuracy - Number of rooms
Not reported.
13.1.30. Overall accuracy - Density standard (floor space)
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
13.1.31. Overall accuracy - Density standard (number of rooms)
Not reported.
13.1.32. Overall accuracy - Water supply system
Assumed to be WSS='1.'. See comment.
13.1.33. Overall accuracy - Toilet facilities
Assumed to be TOI='1.'. See comment.
13.1.34. Overall accuracy - Bathing facilities
Assumed to be BAT='1.'. See comment.
13.1.35. Impact of the COVID pandemic on data accuracy
None
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable for register-based and traditional censuses.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not asessed.
14.1. Timeliness
First figures published on 23rd month after reference date.
14.2. Punctuality
Publications have been as advertised, except for a month's delay in publishing the on the topic of households and a longer on dwellings.
Delivery to the Census Hub on 27 March 2024.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
There is full comparability between regions of Iceland. In no topic does the Icelandic census diverge from the European definitions. Methods of conducting the survey may, however, reduce the comparability.
15.1.1. Geographic information - data quality
No imputation. Unknown adresses can nevertheless be assigned to municipalities.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Census data have been found to be coherent to the LFS-data on employment as well as industry, but less on occupation. Other data have been collected from same sources as the statistics to be compared with (education, demography, dwellings).
15.4. Coherence - internal
All assessments of internal coherence have returned positive results.
No burden on respondents, only light burden on some data providers for additional data, and tax payers: costing approx. 150 m Icelandic Kronas (1 m €).
17.1. Data revision - policy
No major revision of the census is foreseen.
17.2. Data revision - practice
All errors that are detected are to be corrected immediately.
18.1. Source data
Administrative registers, Statistical registers, User registers from public utilities.
18.1.1. List of data sources
See below.
18.1.1.1. List of data sources - Data on persons
- National Register of persons
- Statistical register of labour market status
- Statistical student register
- Statistical register of attained education
- Register of institutional population from the Social Security Authority
- PAYE register of Tax Authorities
- The Icelandic Wage, Earnings and Labour Cost Survey (ISCO-08 data)
- Register of sailors and seafarers
- Register of farmers
- Register of recipients of housing subsidies
- Public utilities' data on electricity (private) users
- Statistical business register
- Register of annual tax declarations
- Municipal registers of homeless persons
18.1.1.2. List of data sources - Data on households
Derived from the individual personal data, dwelling data.
18.1.1.3. List of data sources - Data on family nuclei
Derived from the individual data.
18.1.1.4. List of data sources - Data on living quarters
National Register of Real Estates.
18.1.1.5. List of data sources - Data on conventional dwellings
National Register of Real Estates.
18.1.2. Classification of data sources
Classification of the data sources as requested by Reg. 2017/881, Annex point 2.1.
18.1.2.1. Classification of data sources - Data on persons
02.Register-based censuses18.1.2.2. Classification of data sources - Data on households
02.Register-based censuses18.1.2.3. Classification of data sources - Data on family nuclei
02.Register-based censuses18.1.2.4. Classification of data sources - Data on living quarters
02.Register-based censuses18.1.2.5. Classification of data sources - Data on conventional dwellings
02.Register-based censuses18.1.3. List of data sources per topic
Usual residence: National Register of persons,
Register of institutional population from the Social Security Authority,
Register of recipients of housing subsidies,
Registers of electricity (private) users,
Municipal registers of homeless persons
SEX: National Register of Persons
AGE: National Register of Persons
LMS: National Register of Persons
FST: National Register of Persons
HST: National Register of Persons
CAS: Statistical register of labour market status,
Statistical student register,
Register of sailors and seafarers,
Register of farmers,
Register of annual tax declarations
PAYE register of Tax Authorities
OCC: Register of sailors and seafarers,
Register of farmers,
Statistical register of attained education,
The Icelandic Wage, Earnings and Labour Cost Survey (ISCO-08 data)
IND: Statistical register of labour market status,
Statistical business register,
Register of sailors and seafarers,
SIE: Statistical register of labour market status
PAYE register of Tax Authorities
LPW: Statistical register of labour market status
EDU: Statistical register of attained education
LOC: Statistical Register of Localities
POB: National Register of Persons
COC: National Register of Persons
YAT: National Register of Persons
ROY: National Register of Persons
HAR: Register of Real Estates
TFN: Derived
SFN: Derived
TPH: Derived
SPH: Derived
TSH: Register of Real Estates
TLQ: Register of Real Estates
OCS: Register of Real Estates
OWS: Register of Real Estates
NOC: Derived
UFS: Register of Real Estates
NOR: Not applicable
DFS: Derived
DRM: Not applicable
WSS: Not applicable
TOI: Not applicable
BAT: Not applicable
TOH: Not applicable
TOB: Register of Real Estates
POC: Register of Real Estates
18.1.4. Adequacy of data sources
The adeqacy of the data sources is described in detail, using the 5 main characteristics of Censuses.
18.1.4.1. Adequacy of data sources - Individual enumeration
The characteristics of each statistical unit are recorded separately, so that each characteristic can be cross-classified with others.
18.1.4.2. Adequacy of data sources - Simultaneity
All information refers to the same point in time (reference date). Information on employment and school attendance apply to November prior to the Census Date
18.1.4.3. Adequacy of data sources - Universality within the defined territory
Data are provided for all statistical units in a defined territory (for persons in particular, data are provided for all usual residents in a defined territory).
18.1.4.4. Adequacy of data sources - Availability of small-area data
Data are available for small geographical areas and for small subgroups of statistical units.
18.1.4.5. Adequacy of data sources - Defined periodicity
All administrative data sources are updated on a daily basis (except tax return data on an annual basis), while the statistical data sources are update on at least annual basis
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Decennial.
18.3. Data collection
Only administrative data were collected.
18.3.1. Data collection - Questionnaire based data
Not applicable.
18.3.2. Data collection - Register based data
Mostly regular aquisitions, apart from municpal data.
18.3.3. Data collection - Sample survey based data
Not applicable.
18.3.4. Data collection - Data from combined methods
Not applicable.
18.4. Data validation
Data are validated primarily by the following methods:
- Internal consistency checks
- Comparison with existing surveys, especially the LFS and the SILC. This applies to residence, household and family structure, employment and education.
- Coherence check with existing external statistics, especially with regard to the classifcation of industry
- Small ad hoc samples for estimating the results of certain estimating procedures. This applies to mathcing procedures, and useful floor space.
18.5. Data compilation
Capturing. All data that were collected to complete existing registers where collected in electronic format or via telephone interviews. All register data was collected electronically. In few instances graduation lists were scanned with an OCR.
Coding. None.
Identifying variables. The national personal identification number (kennitala) is ubiquitious for uniquely identifying persons in Iceland. These had to be provided manually or by name matching for a fraction of the educational attainment data. A corresponding number (fastanúmer) for dwelling units is not as widely distributed. When auxiliary data was made use of, locational data (streetname and number) served as identifying variables.
Record editing. The selection variable for both persons and dwelling units (1=belongs to the population, 0=does not belong to the population, -1=record deleted) was prone to edits. No editing was required for data on sex, marital status, age, citizenship, country of birth, and location of dwelling units. All other data were edited, mainly using deterministic methods to prevent inconsistencies or using auxiliary data sources to provide the most likely value. No data were manually edited.
Record imputation. No records relating to persons were imputed. All the records that were added to the population records from the current NRP came from other sources, including data on institutional population, register of short term residents, and the register of persons with foreign residence. Records relating to dwelling units were imputed only when secondary evidence indicated that a record was missing or in cases of merging or splitting records. The total number of such records was less than 1%.
Record deletion. Neither of the two main administrative registers (NRP and NRRE) contained duplicate records. The selection of records was made by manipulating the selection variable discussed above, with only the original merged/split dwelling units actually marked as deleted. A special Random Forest algorithm was developed to predict the persons that had left the country prior to Census date without registering the immigration. The predicted records were deleted.
Estimation. All statistics in the Icelandic Census are counts of records.
Record linkage including identifying variable(s) used for the record linkage. All data relating to persons are linked through the national PIN (kennitala), same applies to data relating to dwelling units which were linked through the identifying variable [fastnum]. The dwelling register and the persons register where linked through a bridge table linking the variables refering to location (streetname and number), i.e. [huskoti]==[heinum].
Generation of households and families. Linking persons and individual dwelling units through a combination of location linkage discussed above, ownership data, renters' data, with regard to auxiliary information such as payments of electrical bills, as well as statistical matching (i.e. random allocation to dwelling units) was the key element in producing household data. In this exercise, data on family relationships, including name matching, common migration patterns and business relationships was used to complement the register family data in order to match groups(/families) and dwelling units.
18.6. Adjustment
None.
Data on water supply system, toilet facilities, bathing facitilties and type of heating are all assumed to have the value '1.'. In the first three cases these facilities are required by law to be included in regular dwelling units (Byggingarreglugerð nr. 112/2012 með síðari breytingum. In all cases, not counting the unknowns, the values '2.' only accounted for 0.1 to 0.3% of the total knowns in 2011.
The data present the results of the 2021 EU census on population and housing, following Regulation (EC) 763/2008; Regulation (EU) 2017/543; Regulation (EU) 2017/712 and Regulation (EU) 2017/881.
23 September 2024
The information is given separately for each census topic.
The EU programme for the 2021 population and housing censuses includes data on persons, private households, family nuclei, conventional dwellings and living quarters.
The persons enumerated in the 2021 census are those who were usually resident in the territory of the reporting country at the census reference date.
Data are available at different levels of geographical detail in EU countries: national, NUTS2/NUTS3 regions and local administrative units (LAU), grids.
See the following sub-concepts.
The census is considered more accurate than the individual administrative registers.
Counts of statistical units should be expressed in numbers and where is needed rate per inhabitants enumerated in the country.
Capturing. All data that were collected to complete existing registers where collected in electronic format or via telephone interviews. All register data was collected electronically. In few instances graduation lists were scanned with an OCR.
Coding. None.
Identifying variables. The national personal identification number (kennitala) is ubiquitious for uniquely identifying persons in Iceland. These had to be provided manually or by name matching for a fraction of the educational attainment data. A corresponding number (fastanúmer) for dwelling units is not as widely distributed. When auxiliary data was made use of, locational data (streetname and number) served as identifying variables.
Record editing. The selection variable for both persons and dwelling units (1=belongs to the population, 0=does not belong to the population, -1=record deleted) was prone to edits. No editing was required for data on sex, marital status, age, citizenship, country of birth, and location of dwelling units. All other data were edited, mainly using deterministic methods to prevent inconsistencies or using auxiliary data sources to provide the most likely value. No data were manually edited.
Record imputation. No records relating to persons were imputed. All the records that were added to the population records from the current NRP came from other sources, including data on institutional population, register of short term residents, and the register of persons with foreign residence. Records relating to dwelling units were imputed only when secondary evidence indicated that a record was missing or in cases of merging or splitting records. The total number of such records was less than 1%.
Record deletion. Neither of the two main administrative registers (NRP and NRRE) contained duplicate records. The selection of records was made by manipulating the selection variable discussed above, with only the original merged/split dwelling units actually marked as deleted. A special Random Forest algorithm was developed to predict the persons that had left the country prior to Census date without registering the immigration. The predicted records were deleted.
Estimation. All statistics in the Icelandic Census are counts of records.
Record linkage including identifying variable(s) used for the record linkage. All data relating to persons are linked through the national PIN (kennitala), same applies to data relating to dwelling units which were linked through the identifying variable [fastnum]. The dwelling register and the persons register where linked through a bridge table linking the variables refering to location (streetname and number), i.e. [huskoti]==[heinum].
Generation of households and families. Linking persons and individual dwelling units through a combination of location linkage discussed above, ownership data, renters' data, with regard to auxiliary information such as payments of electrical bills, as well as statistical matching (i.e. random allocation to dwelling units) was the key element in producing household data. In this exercise, data on family relationships, including name matching, common migration patterns and business relationships was used to complement the register family data in order to match groups(/families) and dwelling units.
Administrative registers, Statistical registers, User registers from public utilities.
Decennial
First figures published on 23rd month after reference date.
There is full comparability between regions of Iceland. In no topic does the Icelandic census diverge from the European definitions. Methods of conducting the survey may, however, reduce the comparability.
Not applicable.
