Prime Minister of Iceland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of Iceland |
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Prime Minister's Office | |
Style |
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Member of |
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Seat | Reykjavík, Iceland |
Appointer | President |
Term length | No term limit |
Constituting instrument |
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Precursor | Minister for Iceland |
Inaugural holder | Jón Magnússon |
Formation | 1 February 1904 |
Salary | 2,021,825 kr/US$ 14,038 monthly |
Website |
The prime minister of Iceland (called Forsætisráðherra Íslands in Icelandic) is the main leader of the government in Iceland. The president of Iceland officially chooses the prime minister. The prime minister works with a group of top government officials called the cabinet. Together, they make important decisions for the country, with support from the parliament.
Contents
How the Prime Minister is Chosen
The President's Role in Government
The president of Iceland appoints the prime minister. This is stated in the Constitution of Iceland, which is like Iceland's rulebook. The prime minister then leads the meetings of the cabinet.
The Constitution says: "The [cabinet] meetings shall be presided over by the Minister called upon by the President of the Republic to do so, who is designated Prime Minister." This means the president picks one minister to be the leader, and that person becomes the prime minister.
Where the Prime Minister Works
Prime Minister's Offices and Residences
The main office for the prime minister is in a building called the Governing Council (Stjórnarráðið) in Reykjavík. This is where their team works and where important cabinet meetings happen.
The prime minister also has a summer home called Þingvallabær. It is located in Þingvellir, a beautiful national park. There is also a reception house in Tjarnargata, Reykjavík. This house was used as the prime minister's home until 1943.
Images for kids
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Stjórnarráðið in Reykjavík, the Prime Minister's Office
A Look at Past Prime Ministers
Leaders of Iceland Through History
Iceland has had many prime ministers since the position was created. Here's a look at some of the leaders who have served the country.
Home Rule Period (1904–1918)
This was a time when Iceland gained more control over its own affairs, but was still connected to Denmark.
No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Party | |
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1 | ![]() |
Hannes Hafstein | 1 February 1904 |
31 March 1909 |
Home Rule Party | |
2 | ![]() |
Björn Jónsson | 31 March 1909 |
14 March 1911 |
Independence Party |
Kingdom Period (1918–1944)
During this time, Iceland became an independent kingdom, but still shared a king with Denmark.
Political party colors: Home Rule Independence Conservative Progressive Independent
No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Political Party | Cabinet | Monarch | |||
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# | Took office | Left office | |||||||
6 | ![]() |
Jón Magnússon | 1 | 4 January 1917 |
25 February 1920 |
Home Rule Party | HP–IP–PP | Kristján X![]() |
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2 | 25 February 1920 |
7 March 1922 |
HP–others | ||||||
(4) | ![]() |
Sigurður Eggerz | 1 | 7 March 1922 |
22 March 1924 |
Independence Party | IP–others | ||
(6) | ![]() |
Jón Magnússon | 3 | 22 March 1924 |
23 June 1926 |
Conservative Party | CP | ||
7 | ![]() |
Magnús Guðmundsson Acting |
23 June 1926 |
8 July 1926 |
Conservative Party | ||||
8 | ![]() |
Jón Þorláksson | 1 | 8 July 1926 |
28 August 1927 |
Conservative Party | CP | ||
9 | ![]() |
Tryggvi Þórhallsson | 1 | 28 August 1927 |
3 June 1932 |
Progressive Party | PP | ||
10 | ![]() |
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson | 1 | 3 June 1932 |
28 July 1934 |
Progressive Party | PP–IP–Peasants | ||
11 | ![]() |
Hermann Jónasson | 1 | 28 July 1934 |
16 May 1942 |
Progressive Party | PP–SDP | ||
2 | PP | ||||||||
3 | PP–IP–SDP | ||||||||
4 | |||||||||
12 | ![]() |
Ólafur Thors | 1 | 16 May 1942 |
16 December 1942 |
Independence Party | IP | ||
13 | ![]() |
Björn Þórðarson | 1 | 16 December 1942 |
21 October 1944 |
Independent |
Republic Period (1944–Present)
Iceland became a fully independent republic in 1944. Since then, the prime minister has led the government under a president.
Political party colors: Independence Progressive Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Alliance Left-Green
No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Political Party | Cabinet | President | |||
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# | Took Office | Left Office | |||||||
(12) | ![]() |
Ólafur Thors | 2 | 21 October 1944 |
4 February 1947 |
Independence Party | IP–SDP–SP | Sveinn Björnsson ![]() |
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14 | ![]() |
Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson | 1 | 4 February 1947 |
6 December 1949 |
Social Democratic Party | |||
(12) | ![]() |
Ólafur Thors | 3 | 6 December 1949 |
14 March 1950 |
Independence Party | IP | ||
15 | ![]() |
Steingrímur Steinþórsson | 1 | 14 March 1950 |
11 September 1953 |
Progressive Party | PP–IP | ||
(12) | ![]() |
Ólafur Thors | 4 | 11 September 1953 |
24 July 1956 |
Independence Party | Ásgeir Ásgeirsson ![]() |
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(11) | ![]() |
Hermann Jónasson | 5 | 24 July 1956 |
23 December 1958 |
Progressive Party | PP–SDP–PA | ||
16 | ![]() |
Emil Jónsson | 1 | 23 December 1958 |
20 November 1959 |
Social Democratic Party | SDP | ||
(12) | ![]() |
Ólafur Thors | 5 | 20 November 1959 |
8 September 1961 |
Independence Party | IP–SDP | ||
17 | ![]() |
Bjarni Benediktsson Acting |
8 September 1961 |
31 December 1961 |
Independence Party | ||||
(12) | ![]() |
Ólafur Thors | 1 January 1962 |
14 November 1963 |
Independence Party | ||||
(17) | ![]() |
Bjarni Benediktsson | 1 | 14 November 1963 |
10 July 1970 |
Independence Party | Kristján Eldjárn ![]() |
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18 | ![]() |
Jóhann Hafstein | 1 | Acting: 10 July 10 October 1970 |
14 July 1971 |
Independence Party | IP–SDP | ||
19 | Ólafur Jóhannesson | 1 | 14 July 1971 |
28 August 1974 |
Progressive Party | PP–PA–LL | |||
20 | ![]() |
Geir Hallgrímsson | 1 | 28 August 1974 |
1 September 1978 |
Independence Party | IP–PP | ||
(19) | Ólafur Jóhannesson | 2 | 1 September 1978 |
15 October 1979 |
Progressive Party | PP–PA | |||
21 | Benedikt Gröndal | 1 | 15 October 1979 |
8 February 1980 |
Social Democratic Party | SDP | |||
22 | Gunnar Thoroddsen | 1 | 8 February 1980 |
26 May 1983 |
Independence Party (*Gunnar's faction) |
IP*–PP–PA | Vigdís Finnbogadóttir ![]() |
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23 | ![]() |
Steingrímur Hermannsson | 1 | 26 May 1983 |
8 July 1987 |
Progressive Party | PP–IP | ||
24 | ![]() |
Þorsteinn Pálsson | 1 | 8 July 1987 |
28 September 1988 |
Independence Party | IP–PP–SDP | ||
(23) | ![]() |
Steingrímur Hermannsson | 2 | 28 September 1988 |
30 April 1991 |
Progressive Party | PP–SDP–PA | ||
3 | PP–SDP–PA–CiP | ||||||||
25 | ![]() |
Davíð Oddsson | 1 | 30 April 1991 |
15 September 2004 |
Independence Party | IP–SDP | Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson ![]() |
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2 | IP–PP | ||||||||
3 | |||||||||
4 | |||||||||
26 | ![]() |
Halldór Ásgrímsson | 1 | 15 September 2004 |
15 June 2006 |
Progressive Party | |||
27 | ![]() |
Geir Haarde | 1 | 15 June 2006 |
1 February 2009 |
Independence Party | |||
2 | IP–SDA | ||||||||
28 | ![]() |
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir | 1 | 1 February 2009 |
23 May 2013 |
Social Democratic Alliance | SDA–LGM | ||
29 | ![]() |
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson | 1 | 23 May 2013 |
7 April 2016 |
Progressive Party | PP–IP | Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson ![]() |
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30 | ![]() |
Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson | 1 | 7 April 2016 |
11 January 2017 |
Progressive Party | |||
31 | ![]() |
Bjarni Benediktsson | 1 | 11 January 2017 |
30 November 2017 |
Independence Party | IP–C–BF | ||
32 | ![]() |
Katrín Jakobsdóttir | 1 | 30 November 2017 |
9 April 2024 |
Left-Green Movement | LGM–IP–PP | ||
2 | (31) | ![]() |
Bjarni Benediktsson | 2 | 9 April 2024 |
21 December 2024 |
Independence Party | Halla Tómasdóttir ![]() |
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33 | ![]() |
Kristrún Frostadóttir | 1 | 21 December 2024 |
Incumbent | Social Democratic Alliance | SDA–RP–PP |
Timeline of Prime Ministers

See also
- List of rulers of Iceland
- Cabinet of Iceland