Inflation Iceland 2003

Average inflation: 2.1%

Inflation in 2003

Inflation is normal at 2.1%, around the ECB target.

Peak and Trough

The highest inflation was in December at 2.8%. The lowest inflation was in January at 1.4%.

Highest month
December: 2.8%
Lowest month
January: 1.4%
Difference
1.4 percentage points
Months with data
12 of 12

Category Insights

The highest price increase was in Education with an average of 8.6%. The lowest price increase was in Food and non-alcoholic beverages with an average of -2.6%.

Highest increase
Education: 8.6%
Lowest increase
Food and non-alcoholic beverages: -2.6%

Historical Context

Inflation is 2.3 percentage points lower than the 5-year average of 4.4%.

5-year average
4.4%
10-year average
3.1%
All-time high (1989)
20.7%
All-time low (1994)
1.6%

Trend

Over the period 2001-2003, inflation shows a downward trend. Compared to 2002, inflation has fallen by 3.2 percentage points.

Change vs. previous year
-3.2 percentage points
Largest monthly swing
January: -8.1 percentage points

ECB Target

Inflation is close to the ECB target of 2.0%.

Purchasing Power

At this inflation rate, purchasing power noticeably decreases. Without a salary increase, you can buy less with the same money.

What you could buy for ISK 100 this year will cost approximately ISK 102 next year at this inflation rate.

Multi-year trend

Monthly figures 2003

Inflation by category

Food and non-alcoholic beverages
-2.6%
-4.7 vs avg.
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics
6.7%
+4.6 vs avg.
Clothing and footwear
-1.8%
-3.9 vs avg.
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels
8.4%
+6.3 vs avg.
Furnishings, household equipment and maintenance
-0.8%
-2.9 vs avg.
Health
5.4%
+3.3 vs avg.
Transport
1.2%
-0.9 vs avg.
Communication
1.4%
-0.7 vs avg.
Recreation and culture
0.0%
-2.1 vs avg.
Education
8.6%
+6.5 vs avg.
Restaurants and hotels
1.1%
-1.0 vs avg.
Miscellaneous goods and services
3.7%
+1.6 vs avg.

Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.

Month overview

Month Inflation Difference vs. 2002
January 1.4% -8.1
February 1.5% -7.5
March 2.2% -6.6
April 2.3% -5.2
May 2.2% -3.8
June 1.7% -3.1
July 1.6% -2.5
August 2.0% -1.2
September 2.2% -0.8
October 2.1% -0.9
November 2.6% +0.2
December 2.8% +0.8
Average 2.1%

Data source

Data from OECD. Last updated: 13/01/2026.

See also