What works in Iceland
All catalogues
Quality scores are 0–100 rubric scores; “strong evidence” reflects study design; adoptions count documented replications elsewhere. Know more
Evidence snapshot for Iceland
Iceland has implemented several landmark gender-equality and civic-participation policies. Its mandatory equal pay certification standard (ÍST 85) requires employers with 25+ staff to audit pay equity every three years, contributing to an unadjusted gender pay gap of 9.3–10.4% in 2023–24, below the EU average of 12.7%, and the country has ranked first on the WEF Global Gender Gap Index for 15 consecutive years. Iceland's 2021 parental leave reform expanded paid leave to 12 months with 6 months non-transferable per parent, achieving 80–90% father uptake and an average of 131 days of leave use by fathers—the highest global benchmark for gender-equal care sharing. Civically, Better Reykjavík, a participatory-governance platform launched in 2010, has engaged over 70,000 residents (58%+ of the city's population) and resulted in approximately 700 citizen proposals being formally adopted by the city council.
Drawn from: Iceland Equal Pay Certification Standard (ÍST 85) — Mandatory Equal-Pay Law 2018 · Iceland's 12-Month Gender-Equal Parental Leave Reform (2021) · Mandatory Equal Pay Certification — Iceland's Jafnlaunastaðall (2018) · Ísland ljóstengt (Iceland Fibre-Connected) · Better Reykjavík — Iceland's AI-Assisted Participatory Governance Platform · Iceland's National & Reykjavík Four-Day Week Trials (2015–2019) · Better Reykjavik — Open Municipal Idea Platform · Iceland's National Shorter Working Week Trials — From Pilot to a 36-Hour Norm
Generated from this place's cited practices only. Always check the linked sources.
Strengths & weaknesses vs peers
Strengths
Water & soil — retention, infiltration, erosion control +28 pts 78 here · 50 average
Documented learning +26 pts 100 here · 74 average
Curator validation +26 pts 100 here · 74 average
Demonstrated reach +24 pts 100 here · 76 average
Transparency, ethics & data protection +19 pts 67 here · 48 average
Sustainability +17 pts 95 here · 78 average
Transferability / replicability +16 pts 76 here · 59 average
Evaluated outcomes +16 pts 100 here · 84 average
Equity & inclusion +14 pts 67 here · 52 average
Carbon — sequestration / storage, evidenced +14 pts 44 here · 31 average
Achievement / evidence +9 pts 100 here · 91 average
Gender-mainstreaming embedding +9 pts 100 here · 91 average
Weaknesses
Evidence of learning impact -17 pts 11 here · 28 average
Score profile vs peers
Coloured bar: Iceland. Grey bar: peer average across the corpus. Both on a common 0–100 scale.
Points compare this place's average on each dimension with the average across all evaluated places, on a common 0–100 scale. Know more
Top good practices here
Iceland Equal Pay Certification Standard (ÍST 85) — Mandatory Equal-Pay Law 2018 · 100
Iceland's 12-Month Gender-Equal Parental Leave Reform (2021) · 96
Kvennafrídagurinn — Iceland's Women's Strike for Equal Pay and Recognition of Unpaid Work · 89
Mandatory Equal Pay Certification — Iceland's Jafnlaunastaðall (2018) · 89
Ísland ljóstengt (Iceland Fibre-Connected) · 88
Better Reykjavík — Iceland's AI-Assisted Participatory Governance Platform · 87
Iceland's National & Reykjavík Four-Day Week Trials (2015–2019) · 86
Better Reykjavik — Open Municipal Idea Platform · 86
Each number is the practice's overall 0–100 quality score against its catalogue's rubric. Know more
Cities with evaluated practice
Where the documented practice in Iceland concentrates — each city has its own evidence profile.
Recommended to adopt or replicate
Transferable practices from elsewhere that address this place's gaps.
Ciudad Mujer — El Salvador's Integrated Women's Services Programme · fit 100/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Already adopted in 3 other places
SASA! Community Mobilisation Programme against Intimate Partner Violence — Uganda · fit 100/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Already adopted in 4 other places
Digital Green — Video-Mediated Agricultural Extension · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
Kartu Prakerja – National Digital Skills and Financial Inclusion Programme · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
Rwanda's Land Tenure Regularization Programme — Titling Land in Women's Names · fit 90/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Already adopted in 6 other places
Copenhagen Business Hub (Erhvervshus Hovedstaden) · fit 90/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Stadtidee Aarau — Switzerland's First City-Wide Participatory Budget Using the Method of Equal Shares · fit 90/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Fit estimates how well a practice matches this place, 0 (poor) to 100 (excellent); the list is ordered to favour practices that address this place's gaps. Know more