Inflation Iceland 2008

Average inflation: 12.6%

Current Inflation

Inflation is very high at 12.6%, far above the ECB target.

Peak and Trough

The highest inflation was in December at 18.1%. The lowest inflation was in January at 5.8%.

Highest month
December: 18.1%
Lowest month
January: 5.8%
Difference
12.3 percentage points
Months with data
12 of 12

Category Insights

The highest price increase was in Transport with an average of 20.0%. The lowest price increase was in Education with an average of 1.8%.

Highest increase
Transport: 20.0%
Lowest increase
Education: 1.8%

Historical Context

Current inflation is 6.3% higher than the 5-year average of 6.3%.

5-year average
6.3%
10-year average
5.4%
All-time high (1989)
20.7%
All-time low (1994)
1.6%

Trend

Inflation shows an upward trend. Compared to 2007, inflation has risen by +7.5 percentage point.

Change vs. previous year
+7.5 percentage points
Largest monthly swing
December: +12.3 percentage points

ECB Target

Inflation is 10.6% above the ECB target of 2.0%. This means purchasing power is declining faster than intended.

Purchasing Power

At this high inflation rate, purchasing power rapidly decreases. This has a major impact on households, especially without adequate salary increases.

What you could buy for €100 this year will cost approximately €112.60 next year at this inflation rate.

Multi-year trend

Monthly figures 2008

Inflation by category

Food and non-alcoholic beverages
16.1%
+3.5vs avg.
More details →
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics
6.9%
-5.7vs avg.
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Clothing and footwear
10.3%
-2.3vs avg.
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Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels
12.9%
+0.3vs avg.
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Furnishings, household equipment and maintenance
14.5%
+1.9vs avg.
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Health
7.3%
-5.3vs avg.
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Transport
20.0%
+7.4vs avg.
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Communication
5.1%
-7.5vs avg.
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Recreation and culture
6.6%
-6.0vs avg.
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Education
1.8%
-10.8vs avg.
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Restaurants and hotels
10.2%
-2.4vs avg.
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Miscellaneous goods and services
9.4%
-3.2vs avg.
More details →

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

Month overview

Month Inflation Difference vs. 2007
January 5.8% -1.1
February 6.8% -0.6
March 8.8% +2.9
April 11.7% +6.4
May 12.3% +7.7
June 12.8% +8.8
July 13.5% +9.7
August 14.5% +11.1
September 14.1% +9.9
October 15.9% +11.4
November 17.2% +12.0
December 18.1% +12.3
Average 12.6%

Data source

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

See also