Iceland Frontier
Europe · Reykjavík · ISK (Icelandic Króna)
Economy & industry overview
Iceland is a small, open, high-income economy in the North Atlantic with a nominal GDP of approximately USD 33.5 billion (World Bank, 2024). The economy is driven by tourism, fish processing, aluminium smelting, and geothermal and hydropower energy, with a growing pharmaceutical and medical-device sector. Iceland is a member of the EEA and EFTA, giving it access to the European single market without EU membership. The Nasdaq Iceland exchange lists around 27 companies on its main market, concentrated in financials, seafood, industrials, and real estate. GDP per capita is among the highest in the world, and the labour market is characterised by very high participation and low unemployment.
Key sectors
📘 Learn everything about Iceland →Macro
| GDP nominal, USD | $33.46B |
| GDP growth real, annual | 1.7% |
| Inflation annual | 6.6% |
| Population people | 400K |
| GDP per capita USD | $86,473 |
| Market cap total listed, USD | $18.80B |
| Market cap / GDP | 56.2% |
| Unemployment | 3.4% |
| Listed companies | 27 |
| Exchange | Nasdaq Iceland (XICE) |
Data year: 2024. Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026), World Bank National Accounts Data 2024, Wikipedia – Economy of Iceland, Wikipedia – Nasdaq Iceland, Nasdaq Iceland Official Exchange Page (nasdaq.com/solutions/european-markets/iceland), FocusEconomics – Iceland, OECD Economic Surveys: Iceland 2025, Trading Economics – Iceland, StatisticsTimes – Iceland GDP 2024, CEOWORLD – Iceland Largest Companies by Market Cap 2024, StockViz – Iceland Companies by Market Cap, FinancialReports.eu – Iceland Listed Companies.
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LatviaLargest listed companies
The biggest companies on the main local exchange, by market capitalisation.
| # | Company | Sector | Market capUSD | US listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marel hf.MAREL · Nasdaq Iceland | Industrials – Food Processing Equipment | $3.18B | — |
| 2 | Arion Banki hf.ARION · Nasdaq Iceland | Financials – Banking | $1.66B | — |
| 3 | Íslandsbanki hf.ISB · Nasdaq Iceland | Financials – Banking | $1.66B | — |
| 4 | Alvotech hf.ALVO · Nasdaq Iceland / Nasdaq US | Health Care – Biosimilars | $1.50B | ALVO |
| 5 | Síldarvinnslan hf.SVN · Nasdaq Iceland | Consumer Staples – Fisheries | $520.00M | — |
| 6 | Brim hf.BRIM · Nasdaq Iceland | Consumer Staples – Seafood Processing | $480.00M | — |
| 7 | Icelandair Group hf.ICEAIR · Nasdaq Iceland | Industrials – Airlines & Aviation | $450.00M | — |
| 8 | Hagar hf.HAGAR · Nasdaq Iceland | Consumer Staples – Retail | $430.00M | — |
| 9 | Kvika Banki hf.KVIKA · Nasdaq Iceland | Financials – Banking & Asset Management | $380.00M | — |
| 10 | Festi hf.FESTI · Nasdaq Iceland | Consumer Discretionary – Retail & Service Stations | $350.00M | — |
| 11 | Reitir Fasteignafélag hf.REITIR · Nasdaq Iceland | Real Estate | $310.00M | — |
| 12 | Eimskipafélag Íslands hf.EIM · Nasdaq Iceland | Industrials – Shipping & Logistics | $280.00M | — |
| 13 | Össur hf.OSSR · Nasdaq Copenhagen (primary); Nasdaq Iceland | Health Care – Prosthetics & Orthotics | $1.10B | — |
| 14 | Landsbankinn hf.LBANK · Nasdaq Iceland | Financials – Banking | $1.80B | — |
| 15 | Fly Play hf.PLAY · Nasdaq Iceland | Industrials – Low-Cost Airlines | $110.00M | — |
US-traded ETFs
Funds listed in the US that give exposure to this market — the simplest route for many US investors.
Local exchange & access
| Exchange | Nasdaq Iceland |
| Code | XICE |
| Website | www.nasdaq.com/solutions/european-markets/iceland |
| Currency | ISK |
Local broker access
Nasdaq Iceland is accessible to institutional and professional investors via Nasdaq Nordic member brokers. Retail access for non-Icelandic investors is limited; international brokers with Nordic coverage (e.g. Saxo Bank, Nordnet, Kepler Cheuvreux) may provide access to ISK-denominated equities. Settlement is via Nasdaq CSD. Currency risk (ISK) applies to all positions. Liquidity on many individual stocks is thin.
Global brokers with foreign-market access
- Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
- Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
- Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
- Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.
Listed for convenience only — not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.
Relocation & residency
Investment visa / residency programme
Grants No formal investment-migration programme
Iceland does not operate a formal golden visa or citizenship/residency-by-investment programme. Residency in Iceland is generally obtained through employment, family reunification, or EEA freedom of movement rights. There is no government scheme that grants residency or citizenship in exchange for a qualifying capital investment.
Need help applying? Specialist investment-migration advisers such as Henley & Partners.
Foreign-investor access
EEA/EFTA nationals may live and work in Iceland freely. Non-EEA nationals require a residence permit, typically tied to employment or family status. Iceland has no investor visa pathway. The country operates under Nordic social-welfare norms with high cost of living and very high quality of life rankings.
US-listed ADRs & cross-listings
Companies from this country whose shares also trade in the US — investable in a normal US brokerage account.
| Company | US ticker | Local ticker | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alvotech hf. | ALVO | ALVO | Alvotech is dual-listed on Nasdaq US and Nasdaq Iceland under the same ticker ALVO. It completed its US listing via a SPAC merger in 2022 and is the most accessible Icelandic company for US retail investors. |