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ARTICLE · 25 JULY 2012

Deloitte Monday Briefing: Iceland, From Doom To Boom

Iceland saw a deep financial crisis in 2008-9.

United KingdomStrategy
  • Iceland saw a deep financial crisis in 2008-9. It is a small economy, with a population of 320,000, roughly the same as Leicester's. Iceland's escape from financial chaos offers almost a text book lesson in how an economy can recover from a major shock.
  • In the long history of financial crises Iceland's rates as a big one. The country's three main banks collapsed and were nationalised in the space of a week. Their assets were equivalent to ten times Iceland's GDP. The economy fell into deep recession, shrinking by 15% in less than two years. The Icelandic Krona virtually halved in value, pushing inflation to a peak of 18.6%.
  • Yet four years later the Icelandic economy has been turned around. This year Iceland is expected to grow by 1.3%, a stronger growth performance than most European countries. Unemployment is lower than in the UK, Germany or the US. Inflation has dropped sharply. And international investors are buying Icelandic government bonds even as they

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