Words by

Nanna Árnadóttir

@nannaarnadottir

Photo by

Wikimedia Commons/NÁ

Only 1.7% of employed Icelanders were off sick for more than one week in 2013, the lowest rate of absenteeism in the Nordic Countries.

According to the Nordic Council, rates of absence due to illness was highest among Norwegians with 3.5% of employed people ill for over a week. Norway was followed by Finland with 2.6% then Sweden and Denmark.

Generally the rate of absence due to illness was higher among women than men but overall Icelandic women had the lowest rate of absenteeism compared to their Nordic counterparts.