Religion in Iceland has been predominantly Christianity since its adoption as the state religion by the Althing under the influence of Olaf Tryggvason, the king of Norway, in 999/1000 CE. Until then, in the 9th and 10th centuries, the prevailing religion among the early Icelanders — who were mostly Norwegian settlers fleeing Harald Fairhair's monarchical centralisation in 872–930, with some Swedes and Norse British settlers — was the northern Germanic religion, which persisted for centuries even after the official Christianisation of the state.
Starting in the 1530s, Iceland, originally Roman Catholic and under the Danish crown, formally switched to Lutheranism with the Icelandic Reformation, which culminated in 1550. The Lutheran Church of Iceland has since then remained the country's state church. Freedom of religion has been granted to Icelandic citizens since 1874; the Church of Iceland is supported by the government, but all religions officially recognised in the state's civil registry receive support from a church tax (sóknargjald) owed by their respective populations of adherents over the age of sixteen, who are counted by the state's statistical office on a yearly basis; citizens who declare that they are not affiliated with any religion owe an equivalent tax to the University of Iceland. Section VI deals with religion.Article 62: The Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the State Church in Iceland and, as such, it shall be supported and protected by the State.
This may be amended by law.
Article 63: All persons have the right to form religious associations and to practice their religion in conformity with their individual convictions. Nothing may however be preached or practised which is prejudicial to good morals or public order.
Article 64: No one may lose any of his civil or national rights on account of his religion, nor may anyone refuse to perform any generally applicable civil duty on religious grounds.
Everyone shall be free to remain outside religious associations. No one shall be obliged to pay any personal dues to any religious association of which he is not a member.
A person who is not a member of any religious association shall pay to the University of Iceland the dues that he would have had to pay to such an association, if he had been a member. This may be amended by law.
Since the late 20th century, and especially in the early 21st century, religious life in Iceland has become more diverse, with a decline in the main forms of Christianity, the rise of unaffiliated people, and the emergence of new religions, notably Germanic Heathenism (or Heathenry; Germanic Neopaganism) in Iceland also called Ásatrú, which seeks to reconstruct the Germanic folk religion; a secular grouping of Humanism; Buddhism; Islam; Mesopotamian Zuism (Mesopotamian Neopaganism); and others.
As of 2026, Christians constituted 67.24% of the Icelandic population, a marked decline from the 97.8% observed in 1990 according to Statistics Iceland. Within the Christian category, 56.3% identified as Lutherans belonging to the Church of Iceland. This is a significant decrease from the 92.6% who identified this way in 1990. Other minor Lutheran free churches accounted for 5.27%, Roman Catholicism for 3.95%, and other Christian denominations for 1.72%. The Roman Catholic community has grown from 0.9% in 1990, and other Christian denominations saw growth mainly between 1990 and the 2010s, stabilizing thereafter.
The data for 2026 also indicate an increase in non-Christian religious affiliations and in those who identify as non-religious. Heathenry, a polytheistic religion native to Iceland, accounted for 1.56% of the population. Humanists made up 1.62%, Buddhists 0.41%, and Muslims 0.53%.
A growing segment of the population—20.69% as of 2026 (combined with 0.27% who believe in minor religions in the pie chart)—adheres to religions, philosophies, or life stances not recognized in the civil registry, or did not declare any religious affiliation. This category has seen a substantial increase from 0.6% in 1990 and has tripled from 6.2% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of Icelanders who declared themselves explicitly unaffiliated with any religion, philosophy, or life stance was 7.67% in 2026, up from 1.3% in 1990.
Demographics 1990–2025 quinquennial statistics for major religions and philosophies yielded by Statistics IcelandReligion19901995200020052010201520202025 Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Christianity 250,501 97.9% 260,311 97.2% 268,642 95.0% 277,863 92.8% 284,146 89.5% 276,649 83.2% 273,321 75.1% 265,325 68.13% └ Church of Iceland 236,959 92.6% 245,049 91.5% 248,411 87.8% 251,728 84.0% 251,487 79.1% 237,938 71.5% 231,112 63.47% 222,888 57.23% └ Other non-Catholic Christians 11,146 4.3% 12,709 4.7% 15,924 5.6% 19,684 6.6% 22,987 7.2% 26,297 7.9% 27,577 7.57% 27,303 7.01% └ Catholic Church 2,396 0.9% 2,553 0.95% 4,307 1.5% 6,451 2.15% 9,672 3.0% 12,414 3.7% 14,632 4.02% 15,134 3.89% Heathenry 98 0.03% 190 0.07% 512 0.2% 953 0.3% 1,422 0.4% 3,210 1.0% 4,764 1.31% 6,062 1.56% Humanism – – – – – – – – – – 1,456 0.4% 3,507 0.96% 6,101 1.57% Buddhism – – 230 0.08% 466 0.2% 685 0.2% 1,090 0.3% 1,336 0.4% 1,495 0.42% 1,642 0.42% Islam – – – – 164 0.05% 341 0.1% 591 0.2% 865 0.3% 1,281 0.35% 1,317 0.34% Zuism – – – – – – – – – – 3,087 1.0% 1,213 0.33% 391 0.10% Baháʼí Faith 378 0.1% 402 0.15% 386 0.1% 389 0.1% 398 0.1% 365 0.1% 353 0.1% 323 0.08% Other and unspecified 1,505 0.6% 2,753 1.0% 6,325 2.2% 11,794 3.9% 19,647 6.2% 26,359 7.9% 52,086 14.3% 77,058 19.79% Unaffiliated 3,373 1.3% 3,923 1.4% 6,350 2.2% 7,379 2.5% 10,336 3.2% 19,202 5.7% 26,114 7.17% 30,190 7.75% Population 255,855 100% 267,809 100% 282,845 100% 299,404 100% 317,630 100% 332,529 100% 364,134 100% 389,444 100%
Membership of religious and philosophical organisations in 2026OrganisationReligionMembers%Church of Iceland(Þjóðkirkjan)Christianity222,01256.30Free Church in Reykjavík(Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík)Christianity9,9382.52Independent Congregation(Óháði söfnuðurinn)Christianity2,9320.74Free Church in Hafnarfjörður(Fríkirkjan í Hafnarfirði)Christianity7,9192.01Catholic Church(Kaþólska kirkjan)Christianity15,5583.95Seventh-day Adventist Church in Iceland(Kirkja sjöunda dags aðventista á Íslandi)Christianity5410.14Pentecostal Church in Iceland(Hvítasunnukirkjan á Íslandi)Christianity2,0280.51Congregation of Sjónarhæð(Sjónarhæðarsöfnuðurinn)Christianity340.01Jehovah's Witnesses(Vottar Jehóva)Christianity5070.13Baháʼí Community(Baháʼí samfélagið)Baháʼí Faith2910.07Asatruar Fellowship(Ásatrúarfélagið)Heathenry6,1581.56Church of Smárinn(Smárakirkja)Christianity3300.08The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(Kirkja Jesú Krists hinna síðari daga heilögu)Christianity1170.03The Way Church for You(Vegurinn kirkja fyrir þig)Christianity3980.10Buddhist Fellowship of Iceland(Búddistafélag Íslands)Buddhism1,0250.26Free Church of Kefas(Fríkirkjan Kefas)Christianity810.02First Baptist Church(Fyrsta baptistakirkjan)Christianity570.01Fellowship of Muslims in Iceland(Félag múslima á Íslandi)Islam5690.14Icelandic Church of Christ(Íslenska Kristskirkjan)Christianity2170.06Church of the Annunciation(Boðunarkirkjan)Christianity1160.03Fellowship of Believers(Samfélag trúaðra)Christianity220.01Zen in Iceland(Zen á Íslandi)Buddhism2070.05Christian Community of Betania(Betanía kristið samfélag)Christianity1310.03Russian Orthodox Church(Rússneska rétttrúnaðarkirkjan)Christianity7800.20Serbian Orthodox Church(Serbneska rétttrúnaðarkirkjan)Christianity4730.12World Peace Association of Families(Heimsfriðarsamtök fjölskyldna)Christianity230.01Godword of Reykjavík(Reykjavíkurgoðorð)Heathenry320.01Home Church(Heimakirkja)Christianity490.01SGI in Iceland(SGI á Íslandi)Buddhism1470.04Church of the Resurrected Life(Kirkja hins upprisna lífs)Christianity150.00Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ International(Alþjóðleg kirkja Guðs og embætti Jesú Krists)Christianity1780.05Catch the Fire(Catch the Fire)Christianity1760.04House of Prayer(Bænahúsið)Christianity250.01Baptist Church of the Emmanuel(Loftstofan baptistakirkjan)Christianity1190.03Faith Fellowship of the Salvation Army(Hjálpræðisherinn trúfélag)Christianity2560.06Iceland Christian Nation(Ísland kristin þjóð)Christianity240.01Faith Fellowship of Zuism(Zuism trúfélag)ZuismMesopotamian Neopaganism00.00Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association(Siðmennt félag siðrænna húmanista á Íslandi)Secular humanism6,3871.62Reborn Christian Church of God(Endurfædd kristin kirkja af Guði)Christianity330.01New Avalon Centre(Nýja Avalon miðstöðin)Theosophy140.00DíaMatDialectical materialism2370.06Tibetan Buddhist Fellowship(Félag Tíbet búddista)Buddhism490.01Organisation of Muslims in Iceland(Stofnun múslima á Íslandi)Islam8700.22Diamond Way Buddhism(Demantsleið búddismans)Buddhism320.01Vitund(Vitund)Spirituality20.00Ashutosh Yoga in Iceland(Ashutosh jóga á Íslandi)Hinduism650.02Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Iceland(Eþíópíska Tewahedo rétttrúnaðarkirkjan á Íslandi)Christianity260.01ICCI(ICCI)Islam6900.17Cultural Fellowship of Jews in Iceland(Menningarfélag Gyðinga á Íslandi)Judaism760.02Wat Phra Dhammakaya Buddhist Association in Iceland(Wat Phra Dhammakaya búddistasamtökin á Íslandi)Buddhism2030.05Theosophical Society of Iceland(Lífspekifélag Íslands)Theosophy1330.03Ahmadiyya(Samfélag Ahmadiyya-múslima á Íslandi)Islam100.00Parish of saint Bartholomew(Söfnuður heilags Bartelómeusar)Christianity140.00ISKCON(ISKCON, krishnasamfélag)Hinduism1480.04Other religions and unspecifiedVarious81,59320.69UnaffiliatedUnknown30,2577.67Population394,324100.00
History
9th–10th century: early Germanic settlement
When Iceland was first settled by Norwegians (but also by some Swedes and people from the Norse settlements in Britain) in the mid-9th century, approximately in 870, it was inhabited by a small number of Irish Christian anchorites known as papar (singular papi). When Scandinavians began to arrive in larger numbers, the anchorites left of their own or were driven out. The migration of Norwegians was partly in response to the politics of Harald Fairhair, who was unifying Norway under a centralised monarchy.
The first Icelanders, though accustomed to a society in which the monarch was essential for religious life, did not establish a new monarchy in the colony, but rather a yearly assembly of free men, the Althing. The "things" were assemblies of free men who governed Germanic societies, and they were led by a holy kingship. The Icelandic thing developed peculiar characteristics; in place of the loyalty to a holy king, the Icelanders established the loyalty to a law code, first composed by Úlfljót who studied Norwegian laws.
Icelandic landowners (landnámsmenn) were organised into goðorð ("god-word(s)"), religio-political groups under the leadership of a goði ("god-man"). The goðar were part-time priests who officiated ritual sacrifices at the local temple and had some qualities of the Germanic kings; they organised local things and represented them at the Althing. Úlfljót was chosen as the first lawspeaker (lögsögumaðr), who presided the Althing which met annually at Thingvellir. The religio-political organisation of early Iceland has been defined as "pagan and anti-monarchic", which distinguished it from other Germanic societies. Concerning other religious practices, the Icelanders followed Scandinavian norms; they built temples enshrining images of the gods.