-Automatic translation

The Directorate of Health and Statistics Iceland have entered into an agreement on official statistics. Statistics Iceland is the center of official statistics in Iceland, but with the agreement, the Directorate of Health gets the status of recognized official statistical producer (other National Authority) in the field of public health and health services to Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union.

Until now, the Directorate of Health has produced health statistics for Eurostat through Statistics Iceland. However, the agreement implies that responsibility for processing and submission of official statistics will be transferred to the Directorate of Health. In the future, the office will also participate, on behalf of Iceland, in working groups in the field of health statistics at Eurostat. In addition to this, the Directorate of Health will also be the responsible party to the OECD in terms of statistics on public health and health services.

The Directorate of Health is responsible for collecting and processing information on health and health services in Iceland. The Office shall organize and maintain numerous health registers, i.e. on health and diseases, the use of pharmaceuticals, births, and causes of death. The data from these registers are the main source of the statistics processed for databases of international organizations such as Eurostat, OECD, and WHO.

The agreement was signed by the Director of Statistics Iceland Hrafnhildur Arnkelsdóttir and the Medical Director of Health Alma D. Möller on 21 March 2023.

The Medical Director of Health would like to thank Guðrún Kristín Guðfinnsdóttir, project manager, and Sigríður Harald Elínardóttir, Head of Division, for their excellent work and Statistics Iceland for their good cooperation.