Publications

Pay Day 2026 is today, 28 June. From today, an employee starts working for their take-home pay, whereas from the beginning of the year until now they have been working for taxes, pension rights, and pension savings.

Birta Karen Tryggvadóttir, economist at the Iceland Chamber of Commerce policy division, and Jakob Lars Kristmannsson, specialist at the Iceland Chamber of Commerce policy division, discuss the results of the new IMD competitiveness survey in which Iceland falls seven places year-on-year and now …

“The future of Icelandic society depends to a great extent on whether we succeed in building an education system that combines ambition, transparency, and clear metrics for performance.” This was among the remarks made by Andri Þór Guðmundsson, chairman of the Iceland Chamber of Commerce, in an …

The Iceland Chamber of Commerce has reviewed the economic impact of the government's legislative bills during the parliamentary session that has just ended. In total, 52 bills had significant economic effects, and their overall impact is somewhat negative. The impact varied by ministry, but the …

Iceland falls seven places year-on-year in competitiveness and now sits in 22nd place out of 70 countries in 2026. Iceland's competitiveness declines across every main factor of the assessment by the IMD business school in Switzerland, which carries out an annual review of national competitiveness.

Birta Karen Tryggvadóttir, economist in the Iceland Chamber of Commerce's policy division, discusses the newly approved fiscal plan and why the target of a balanced budget in 2027 will not be met without changes.

Viðskiptaráð welcomes the plans of the Minister of Education and Children's Affairs to move final grades in compulsory schools from letters to numbers, but emphasises that a change in the presentation of grades should be part of a larger transformation that ensures grades and assessment criteria are …

One year has now passed since the Iceland Chamber of Commerce submitted a complaint to the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) concerning unlawful state aid in the housing market. The Authority still has the case under review.

A government-appointed working group proposed 57 streamlining measures in spring 2025, after the government invited efficiency proposals from the public. Of the 57 proposed measures, 5 have been implemented, 20 are in progress, 6 are planned, and work has not begun on 26. It is important that the …

Björn Brynjúlfur Björnsson, CEO of the Iceland Chamber of Commerce, discusses the dispute between Icelandair and its pilots and asks whether a small group should be able to hold a stranglehold on one of the most important lifelines of Icelandic society.

The Bilateral Chambers welcome the Finnish-Icelandic Chamber of Commerce under their umbrella, which now includes 17 chambers.

Iceland’s economy slowed down last year after a strong recovery, but the outlook for coming years is optimistic. The population grows rapidly, mostly thanks to immigration. Export industries have strengthened significantly. The country continues to improve it's competitiveness. All this and more are …

A new board of the Arbitration Court of the Iceland Chamber of Commerce assumed its duties in May. Garðar Víðir Gunnarsson is the new chairman of the court, and Finnur Magnússon has joined the board.

Moderate growth can be expected despite high inflation and unemployment. Export diversification continues to increase, and tourism remains resilient though faced with multiple challenges. Despite a setback, Iceland remains strong in terms of international competitiveness. This is according to The …

The shortening of the working week has not delivered the intended results. The average number of working hours has fallen from 39.5 to 35.9 hours per week, equivalent to ISK 223 billion in lost GDP in 2025, even when account is taken of the lower productivity of the lost working hours. Furthermore, …

The appointment of Björn Brynjúlfur Björnsson as Managing Director of Iceland Chamber of Commerce has been finalized.

The Iceland Chamber of Commerce has published a new edition of The Icelandic Economy, a report giving a unique and comprehensive overview of the economy. The report covers the development of short-term indicators, the current state and outlook of the economy, external trade in goods and services, …

The Iceland Chamber of Commerce has published a new quarterly edition of The Icelandic Economy, a report giving a unique and comprehensive overview of the economy.

The Iceland Chamber of Commerce has published a new quarterly edition of The Icelandic Economy, a report giving a unique and comprehensive overview of the economy.

María Guðjónsdóttir will join The Chamber as General Counsel in August