Statistics Iceland reports 20% of preschool staff of foreign origin in Iceland

A recent report from Statistics Iceland reveals that 20% of preschool staff in the country are of foreign origin. This figure marks an increase from 15.5% in 2020 to 21.6% in 2023. The analysis offers detailed statistics about the backgrounds of those working in preschool education, highlighting that immigrants represent a substantial portion of the workforce.

In December 2023, among staff involved in preschool education, immigrants accounted for 23.3% when excluding managers. The highest immigration rates were noted among support staff, including kitchen and cleaning personnel, where they constituted 53% of those roles.

In terms of qualifications, the report indicates that 27.4% of preschool employees, totaling 1,802 out of 6,580, held teaching credentials specific to preschool education, a slight increase from 26.6% the previous year. Over half of the staff, precisely 53.6% in December 2023, possessed education at the secondary level or lower.

The report also sheds light on employment trends, revealing that a total of 6,963 individuals were employed in preschools in December 2023, a decrease of 156, or 2.2%, from the previous year. The number of preschool children also saw a decline of 145, equivalent to a 0.7% drop during the same period.

There was a notable increase in staff turnover, with more than a quarter of preschool employees from December 2022 not remaining in their positions a year later. The dropout rate among preschool teachers rose from 10.7% to 12.1% year-on-year.