Antibiotic consumption rate in Iceland

Iceland: Antibiotic consumption rate was 18.31 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
18.31 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
28th
of 46 countries
All-time high
20.36 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day
in 2017
All-time low
16.29 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day
in 2020
Years of data
8
2016–2023

Antibiotic consumption rate in Iceland, 2016–2023

051015202016201920232016: 18.2 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day2017: 20.4 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day2018: 20 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day2019: 18.9 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day2020: 16.3 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day2021: 16.4 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day2022: 18.2 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day2023: 18.3 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. Measured in defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day.

Analysis

The most recent figure for antibiotic consumption rate in Iceland is 18.31 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.

Iceland ranks 28th of 46 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 19.38 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 18.23 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 20.36 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 4
2020s 17.3 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 16.29 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 18.31 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day 4

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 25 Lithuania 19.38 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day compare
  2. 26 Tajikistan 18.81 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day compare
  3. 27 Laos 18.44 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day compare
  4. 29 Russia 17.45 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day compare
  5. 30 United Kingdom 17.08 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day compare
  6. 31 Denmark 16.26 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More economy & growth data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is antibiotic consumption rate in Iceland?
Antibiotic consumption rate in Iceland was 18.31 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day in 2023, according to WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest antibiotic consumption rate recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 20.36 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day in 2017.
What is the lowest antibiotic consumption rate recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 16.29 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day in 2020.
How does Iceland rank for antibiotic consumption rate?
Iceland ranks 28th out of 46 countries with data for 2023.
Is antibiotic consumption rate rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Antibiotic consumption rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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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.