Denmark vs Iceland: Antibiotic consumption rate

Denmark
16.26 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day
in 2023
Iceland
18.31 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day
in 2023
Denmark rank
31st
Iceland rank
28th

Antibiotic consumption rate over time

  • Denmark
  • Iceland
05101520201620192023

How they compare

Iceland currently reports 18.31 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day against 16.26 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day in Denmark, a difference of 2.05 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day.

That makes Iceland's figure about 1.1 times Denmark's.

Across all 8 years both countries report, Iceland has been ahead every year.

Denmark ranks 31st and Iceland ranks 28th of 46 countries.

Iceland has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Denmark Iceland Difference Ahead
2010s 16.27 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 19.38 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 3.11 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day Iceland
2020s 15.13 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 17.3 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 2.17 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher antibiotic consumption rate, Denmark or Iceland?
Iceland, at 18.31 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day against 16.26 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day in Denmark as of 2023.
What is the difference in antibiotic consumption rate between Denmark and Iceland?
2.05 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day, with Iceland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Iceland?
8 years are reported by both, from 2016 to 2023.
How do Denmark and Iceland rank globally for antibiotic consumption rate?
Denmark ranks 31st and Iceland ranks 28th of 46 countries.
Where does this data come from?
WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Antibiotic consumption rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Antibiotic consumption rate
Unit
defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day
Source
WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
46 places, 344 data points, 2016–2023
Last refreshed

Total defined daily doses of antibiotics and antituberculosis drugs used in a given year per 1,000 inhabitants per day.