Country Summary
This page presents high-level information for Iceland's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter). Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Iceland's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.
Iceland is located in the North Atlantic between Norway, Scotland and Greenland. It is the second-largest island in Europe and the third largest in the Atlantic Ocean, with a land area of some 103 thousand square kilometers, a coastline of 4,970 kilometers and a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone extending over 758 thousand square kilometers in the surrounding waters. Iceland enjoys a warmer climate than its northerly location would indicate because a part of the Gulf Stream flows around the southern and western coasts of the country. In Reykjavík the average temperature is nearly 11°C in July and just below zero in January.
The population of Iceland was over 350,000 as of 2020. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe with a population density of three inhabitants per square kilometre. Settlement in Iceland is primarily along the coast. Around 63% of the nation lives in the capital area.