Icelandic business majority opposes EU membership

A Gallup analysis published by mbl.is shows that opposition to Iceland joining the European Union has increased among member companies of the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise, with a majority opposed in every industry and region.

Overall, 66% of the companies said they were fairly or strongly opposed to EU membership, up from 56% in the previous survey. Some 22% said they were fairly or strongly in favour, while 12% took no position.

Opposition varied by industry but exceeded support in all sectors. It was lowest in the technology and intellectual property sector, where 48% opposed membership and 38% supported it.

Opposition was highest in the fishing industry, at 91%. Among tourism companies, 72% opposed membership and 21% supported it. In the service sector, 61% were opposed and 26% in favour.

The analysis also found somewhat stronger opposition outside the capital region. While 63% of companies in the capital region opposed EU membership, the figure was 72% among companies elsewhere in the country.

Gallup conducted the survey from July 3 to 15, 2026. It was sent to 1,808 member companies of the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise, which received 737 responses, representing a response rate of 40.8%.