OCDE - Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026 - Islandia de 2026

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DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: ICELAND © OECD 2026

Summary of key data and information Summary of key data and information Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1) Homelessness is defined as someone who does not have access to traditional housing, does not have shelter usually in the same place and stays where possible every night, including in a shelter, a guest house or with other people. Those who come from temporary shelter, such as from prison or from drug treatment, have a history of multiple housing and social difficulties and do not have guaranteed shelter one to two months before they leave the other temporary housing, are included here. Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3) 1 272 individuals, representing 0.34% of the total population (2021) 41% are women, 59% are men Point-in-time count, based on the Icelandic Population Census (2021) ETHOS Light groups included Included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) Not included: • ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions • ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) • ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4) There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in Iceland.

Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) • Iceland does not have a national homelessness strategy • Local homelessness strategies exist Approaches to collect data

Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4) There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in Iceland.

Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) • Iceland does not have a national homelessness strategy • Local homelessness strategies exist Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6) • Population census: Census of the population experiencing homelessness (Table 6.1).

Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Iceland2  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: ICELAND © OECD 2026

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness Statistical definition Homelessness In 2005, Iceland’s Ministry of Social Affairs defined homelessness as follows: “Homeless is someone who does not have access to traditional housing, does not have shelter usually in the same place and stays where possible every night, including in a shelter, a guest house or with other people. Those who come from temporary shelter, such as from prison or from drug treatment, have a history of multiple housing and social difficulties and do not have guaranteed shelter one to two months before they leave the other temporary housing, are included here.” Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology Year Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals) % of total population ETHOS Light 1 People living rough ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends 2021 1 272(a) 0.34% 194 Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate

People living in unconventional dwellings ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends 2021 1 272(a) 0.34% 194 Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Not included Not included Not included Metadata: • Type of count: Point-in-time

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: No o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No Note: (a) The headline estimate includes 1 078 people who are experiencing secondary homelessness – that is, they are persons who are frequently resettled or on a waiting list for social housing due to lack of housing.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Statistics Island (2021), Population Census.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2021 Single adults Men Women Youth (aged 15-29) Older people (aged 65 and over) Families with children (# of households) Headline estimate of homelessness NA 751 521 NA NA NA As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness NA 59.05% 40.95% NA NA NA ETHOS Light 1: People living rough NA 140 54 NA NA NA ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation NA Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified NA NA NA ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless NA Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified NA NA NA ETHOS Light 4: People living in

specified NA NA NA ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless NA Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified NA NA NA ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions NA Not included Not included NA NA NA ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings NA Not included Not included NA NA NA 3

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: ICELAND © OECD 2026

ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends NA Not included Not included NA NA NA Metadata: • Type of count: Point-in-time

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: No o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); https://hagstofa.is/utgafur/frettasafn/manntal/manntal-fjolskyldur-og-heimili/.

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness Legal framework Law that governs data collection on homelessness None. Legal obligations None. Table 5. Homelessness strategy Homelessness strategies in place National Homelessness Strategy None. Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist Yes. Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness 6.1. Iceland Population Census Description Census of the population experiencing homelessness through the national population census.

Type of count generated Point-in-time Methods Population Census Lead authority(ies) Statistics Iceland Source(s) of information General population Scope National level Depth of data Data disaggregated by: sex, territory. Frequency Every 10 years

ETHOS Light groups included:

Point-in-time Methods Population Census Lead authority(ies) Statistics Iceland Source(s) of information General population Scope National level Depth of data Data disaggregated by: sex, territory. Frequency Every 10 years ETHOS Light groups included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges)

Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more subcategories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.

Notes and sources Official report 2021.4  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: ICELAND © OECD 2026

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housingdatabase.html.

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© OECD 2026

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© OECD 2026

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