Only 10% Of Icelanders Smoke

Middle-aged Icelanders are the most likely of all to smoke, but smoking in general is on the wane in Iceland.

Vísir reports that, according to data compiled by the Directorate of Health, only 10% of Icelanders over the age of 18 smoke on a daily basis. These figures are down from 14% in 2014, and varies greatly between age groups.

The largest portion of daily smokers, or about 14%, were aged 45 to 54. At the same time, only 5% of Icelanders between the ages of 18 and 24 smoke every day.

Where other health matters are concerned, there was another big difference, between age and sex. Icelandic men and women between 18 and 24 years old drink relatively the same volumes of alcohol, while in the 45 to 54 age bracket, men drink twice as much as women.

Overall, about half of Icelanders say they get enough daily exercise. While the consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased between 2014 and 2015, still only about 25% of Icelanders say they eat fruit twice or more each day, and only 20% eat vegetables just as often.