Electricity generation from hydropower in Iceland
Iceland: Electricity generation from hydropower was 13.46 terawatt-hours in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
13.46 terawatt-hours
Change on year
down 4.5%
World rank
39th
of 215 countries
All-time high
14.1 terawatt-hours
in 2023
All-time low
0.6239 terawatt-hours
in 1966
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Electricity generation from hydropower in Iceland, 1965–2024
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for electricity generation from hydropower in Iceland is 13.46 terawatt-hours, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.5% on the previous year and up 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from hydropower in Iceland peaked at 14.1 terawatt-hours in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.6239 terawatt-hours, in 1966.
That places Iceland 39th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from hydropower in Iceland, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.6407 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 0.6239 terawatt-hours | -2.6% |
| 1967 | 0.6645 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 1968 | 0.6869 terawatt-hours | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 0.8601 terawatt-hours | +25.2% |
| 1970 | 1.41 terawatt-hours | +64.3% |
| 1971 | 1.54 terawatt-hours | +9.0% |
| 1972 | 1.7 terawatt-hours | +10.6% |
| 1973 | 2.18 terawatt-hours | +28.1% |
| 1974 | 2.26 terawatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 2.21 terawatt-hours | -2.3% |
| 1976 | 2.35 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 1977 | 2.52 terawatt-hours | +7.2% |
| 1978 | 2.6 terawatt-hours | +3.4% |
| 1979 | 2.82 terawatt-hours | +8.2% |
| 1980 | 3.05 terawatt-hours | +8.3% |
| 1981 | 3.08 terawatt-hours | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 3.41 terawatt-hours | +10.5% |
| 1983 | 3.59 terawatt-hours | +5.3% |
| 1984 | 3.74 terawatt-hours | +4.2% |
| 1985 | 3.66 terawatt-hours | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 3.84 terawatt-hours | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 3.91 terawatt-hours | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 4.16 terawatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 1989 | 4.21 terawatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 4.15 terawatt-hours | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 4.15 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 4.3 terawatt-hours | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 4.46 terawatt-hours | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 4.51 terawatt-hours | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 4.68 terawatt-hours | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 4.76 terawatt-hours | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 5.2 terawatt-hours | +9.2% |
| 1998 | 5.62 terawatt-hours | +8.0% |
| 1999 | 6.04 terawatt-hours | +7.6% |
| 2000 | 6.29 terawatt-hours | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 6.51 terawatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 6.91 terawatt-hours | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 7.02 terawatt-hours | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 7.06 terawatt-hours | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 6.95 terawatt-hours | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 7.22 terawatt-hours | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 8.31 terawatt-hours | +15.1% |
| 2008 | 12.3 terawatt-hours | +48.0% |
| 2009 | 12.16 terawatt-hours | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 12.51 terawatt-hours | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 12.38 terawatt-hours | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 12.21 terawatt-hours | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 12.75 terawatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 2014 | 12.55 terawatt-hours | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 13.54 terawatt-hours | +7.9% |
| 2016 | 13.09 terawatt-hours | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 13.89 terawatt-hours | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 13.68 terawatt-hours | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 13.33 terawatt-hours | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 12.92 terawatt-hours | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 13.58 terawatt-hours | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 13.94 terawatt-hours | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 14.1 terawatt-hours | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 13.46 terawatt-hours | -4.5% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 13.46 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.23 terawatt-hours, 58.5× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 13.46 terawatt-hours is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.04 terawatt-hours, 3.3× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Electricity generation from hydropower in Iceland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +64.3% | 0.8601 terawatt-hours | 1.41 terawatt-hours |
| 2008 | +48.0% | 8.31 terawatt-hours | 12.3 terawatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.6952 terawatt-hours | 0.6239 terawatt-hours | 0.8601 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 2.16 terawatt-hours | 1.41 terawatt-hours | 2.82 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.67 terawatt-hours | 3.05 terawatt-hours | 4.21 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.79 terawatt-hours | 4.15 terawatt-hours | 6.04 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.07 terawatt-hours | 6.29 terawatt-hours | 12.3 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.99 terawatt-hours | 12.21 terawatt-hours | 13.89 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.6 terawatt-hours | 12.92 terawatt-hours | 14.1 terawatt-hours | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 36 Mozambique 16.3 terawatt-hours compare
- 37 Portugal 15.18 terawatt-hours compare
- 38 Egypt 15.07 terawatt-hours compare
- 40 Democratic Republic of Congo 13.4 terawatt-hours compare
- 41 Kyrgyzstan 13.37 terawatt-hours compare
- 42 Iran 13.03 terawatt-hours compare
More energy & mining data for Iceland
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -4.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0.0002 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 9.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from hydropower in Iceland?
- Electricity generation from hydropower in Iceland was 13.46 terawatt-hours in 2024, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from hydropower recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 14.1 terawatt-hours in 2023.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from hydropower recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6239 terawatt-hours in 1966.
- How does Iceland rank for electricity generation from hydropower?
- Iceland ranks 39th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is electricity generation from hydropower rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from hydropower. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.