Iceland's Top 2% Scientists 2026: Career-Long List

Iceland has 81 scientists on the 2026 career-long Top 2% list, up 3.8% from 78 in 2025. That places Iceland 65th in the world by number of listed scientists, down 1 place. Haskoli Islands has the most listed scientists (36), followed by Reykjavík University (10).

Single Year

-3 (-4.5%) vs 2025

Career Data

+3 (+3.8%) vs 2025

World rank by count

#65

down 1 place vs 2025

Institutes

+2 (+10.0%) vs 2025

Scientists in Iceland on the list, by year

The career-long count has grown 88% since 2020.

Career-long list, change on the previous year

2021+16.3%

2022+10.0%

2023+16.4%

2024-1.6%

2025+23.8%

2026+3.8%

Show the numbers

Year	Single Year	Change	Career Data	Change
2020	42		43
2021	51	+21.4%	50	+16.3%
2022	51	+0.0%	55	+10.0%
2023	57	+11.8%	64	+16.4%
2024	59	+3.5%	63	-1.6%
2025	66	+11.9%	78	+23.8%
2026	63	-4.5%	81	+3.8%

Top 10 institutes in Iceland

By number of listed scientists

Career-long list2026

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All 81 scientists

Career-long list2026

Showing the 2026 career-long list. Looking for single-year rankings? See the single-year list

Everyone on the list, free to browse.

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Rank in Iceland	World rank	Scientist	Institute	Sub-field	Rank in sub-field
1	5,513	BE BjÖrnssÖn, Einar Stefán	Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 94
2	6,527	CS Campana, Steven E.	Haskoli Islands	Fisheries	Rank 5
3	7,436	BJ Benediktsson, Jón Atli	Haskoli Islands	Geological & Geomatics Engineering	Rank 20
4	8,555	LT Loftsson, Thorsteinn	Haskoli Islands	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 54
5	14,214	SK Stéfansson, Kári	deCODE genetics	Developmental Biology	Rank 603
6	21,069	SE Stefánsson, Einar	Haskoli Islands	Ophthalmology & Optometry	Rank 98
7	28,546	JH Jónsson, Hannes	Haskoli Islands	Chemical Physics	Rank 594
8	28,924	SH Sigurdsson, Haraldur	Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 473
9	30,006	GV Gudnason, V. G.	Icelandic Heart Association	Developmental Biology	Rank 1,072
10	37,561	ST Sawik, Tadeusz J.	Reykjavík University	Operations Research	Rank 119
11	47,554	KS Kozieł, Sławomir Marcin	Reykjavík University	Networking & Telecommunications	Rank 400
12	52,637	PH Pettinati, Helen M.	Vogur Hospital	Substance Abuse	Rank 171
13	54,698	AS Arnórsson, Stefàn A.	Haskoli Islands	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 931
14	67,990	HM Halldórsson, Magnús M.	Reykjavík University	Computation Theory & Mathematics	Rank 175
15	71,968	TT Thordarson, Thor	Haskoli Islands	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 1,248
16	72,510	PM Parnham, Michael John	EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 611
17	75,375	KH Kristinsson, Hördur G.	Haskoli Islands	Food Science	Rank 431
18	76,062	KÁ Kristjánsson, Árni Kjalar	Haskoli Islands	Experimental Psychology	Rank 910
19	77,504	KS Kristinsson, Sigurdur Yngvi	Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland	Immunology	Rank 2,088
20	78,828	YS Young, Susan Jane	Reykjavík University	Psychiatry	Rank 1,415
21	80,182	BH Björnsson, Helgi	Haskoli Islands	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 1,251
22	81,454	VH Valdimarsson, Helgi	Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland	Immunology	Rank 2,188
23	82,896	MB Magnadóttir, Bergljót	Haskoli Islands	Fisheries	Rank 185
24	86,148	GP Ghamisi, Pedram	Haskoli Islands	Geological & Geomatics Engineering	Rank 435
25	89,103	SB Sigurgeirsson, Bárdur	Læknadeild Háskóla Íslands	Dermatology & Venereal Diseases	Rank 556
26	91,974	EP Einarsson, Páll	Nordic Volcanological Center	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 1,584
27	93,262	SF Sigmundsson, Freysteinn	Haskoli Islands	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 1,610
28	94,620	GS Gíslason, Sigurður Reynir	Haskoli Islands	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 1,633
29	95,153	GT Gíslason, Thórarinn	Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland	Respiratory System	Rank 911
30	96,352	LJ Ludden, John N.	GEORG Geothermal Research Cluster	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 1,674
31	106,879	GD Gudbjartsson, Daníel Fannar	Haskoli Islands	Developmental Biology	Rank 2,961
32	107,090	JJ James, Jack E.	Reykjavík University	Clinical Psychology	Rank 376
33	111,473	KK Kristinsson, Karl Gustaf	Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland	Microbiology	Rank 2,758
34	113,166	GG Gudmundsson, Gunnar B.	Læknadeild Háskóla Íslands	Respiratory System	Rank 1,059
35	113,245	SH Stéfansson, Hreinn	deCODE genetics	Developmental Biology	Rank 3,108
36	113,980	EJ Einarsdóttir, Jo´Hanna	Haskoli Islands	Education	Rank 801
37	116,109	RK Ragnarsdóttir, Kristín Vala	Haskoli Islands	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 1,970
38	116,182	GT Gylfason, Thorvaldur	Haskoli Islands	Economics	Rank 1,016
39	119,013	PB Pjetursson, Bjarni Elvar	Haskoli Islands	Dentistry	Rank 686
40	133,071	MM Másson, Már	School of Health Sciences	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 1,204
41	136,335	GM Gudmundsson, Magnús Tumi	Haskoli Islands	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 2,304
42	144,097	LG Lucas, Gavin	Haskoli Islands	Archaeology	Rank 149
43	144,378	IA Imsland, Albert Kjartan Dagbjartarson	Akvaplan-niva Iceland Office	Fisheries	Rank 370
44	146,243	BJ Björnsson, Jóhannes	Akureyri Regional Hospital	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 5,387
45	149,643	SE Skúlason, Egill	Atmonia ehf.	Physical Chemistry	Rank 516
46	155,373	GS Gizurarson, Sveinbjörn	Haskoli Islands	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 1,433
47	158,007	TH Tulinius, Hrafn	Icelandic Cancer Registry	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 5,791
48	175,783	KJ Kristjánsson, Jakob Kr	Hripa ehf	Microbiology	Rank 4,187
49	179,956	TH Thormar, Halldór	Haskoli Islands	Microbiology	Rank 4,297
50	180,027	TL Tryggvadóttír, Laufey	Icelandic Cancer Registry	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 6,567
51	186,426	WB Wu, Bing	Haskoli Islands	Chemical Engineering	Rank 1,011
52	188,889	RV Rafnsson, Vilhjálmur	Læknadeild Háskóla Íslands	Environmental & Occupational Health	Rank 185
53	189,262	ÁR Árnason, Ragnar Adolf	Haskoli Islands	Fisheries	Rank 524
54	195,669	RT Rùnarsson, Thomas Philip	Haskoli Islands	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 4,546
55	207,273	WL Wang, Lulu	Reykjavík University	Networking & Telecommunications	Rank 2,036
56	213,762	GR Geirsson, Reynir Tómas	Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland	Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine	Rank 2,004
57	215,930	JF Jónasson, Fridbert	Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland	Ophthalmology & Optometry	Rank 1,570
58	221,904	SG Sigurdsson, Gíiasli Heimir	Læknadeild Háskóla Íslands	Anesthesiology	Rank 908
59	224,149	OP O'Donoghue, Peter G.	Reykjavík University	Sport Sciences	Rank 818
60	240,864	SG Stefánsson, Gunnar	Haskoli Islands	Fisheries	Rank 761
61	241,909	IK Ingolfsdottir, Kristin	Haskoli Islands	Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry	Rank 1,044
62	242,180	GD Gautam, Dipendra	Haskoli Islands	Strategic, Defence & Security Studies	Rank 322
63	256,728	SE Svavarsdottir, Erla Kolbrun	School of Health Sciences	Nursing	Rank 853
64	257,767	BB Björnsson, Björn Th	Marine and Freshwater Research Institute	Fisheries	Rank 836
65	264,673	AK Anamthawat-Jónsson, Kesara	Haskoli Islands	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 4,021
66	282,549	SI Shelykh, Ivan Andreevich	Raunvísindastofnun Háskólans	Applied Physics	Rank 7,544
67	291,355	LK Leósson, Kristján	DTE ehf	Optics	Rank 1,138
68	294,660	JH Jónsdóttir, H.	Children´s Mental Health Center for the Primary Health Care of the Capital Area (Gedheilsumidstod barna Heilsugaeslu hofudborgarsvaedisins)	Nursing	Rank 1,059
69	296,742	HS Halldórsdóttir, Sigrídur	Háskólinn á Akureyri	Nursing	Rank 1,072
70	297,505	HW Holbrook, William Peter	Haskoli Islands	Dentistry	Rank 1,918
71	300,549	KG Kristjánsdóttir, Gudrún	Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland	Nursing	Rank 1,092
72	315,850	WJ Wallevik, Jon Elvar	Icelandic Meteorological Office	Building & Construction	Rank 1,097
73	317,844	SH Sveinsdóttir, Herdís	School of Health Sciences	Nursing	Rank 1,190
74	345,199	MT Magnusson, Thor	Haskoli Islands	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 8,409
75	357,035	AL Aceto, Luca	Reykjavík University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 8,762
76	359,595	ES Erlingsson, Sigurður	Haskoli Islands	Logistics & Transportation	Rank 788
77	361,282	DB Davidsdottir, Brynhildur	Haskoli Islands	Energy	Rank 6,562
78	439,249	UT Uustalu, Tarmo	Reykjavík University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 11,173
79	452,569	HV Hafstein, Valdimar Tr	Haskoli Islands	Folklore	Rank 3
80	500,163	TK Thórisson, Kristinn R.	Reykjavík University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 12,882
81	537,017	HE Hyytiä, Esa	Haskoli Islands	Networking & Telecommunications	Rank 5,940
No scientists match this filter on the career-long list. Try the single-year list

Showing 1 to 81 of 81 Show

Countries with a similar count

Career-long list2026

Kuwait89 scientists

Oman83 scientists

Colombia81 scientists

Luxembourg74 scientists

Indonesia70 scientists

Lithuania65 scientists

Explore other countries

Career-long list2026

United Kingdom21,350 scientists

Sweden3,661 scientists

Denmark2,309 scientists

Finland1,612 scientists

Norway1,557 scientists

Ireland963 scientists

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Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from Iceland are in the 2026 Stanford Top 2% list?

63 scientists affiliated with Iceland are on the 2026 single-year list, and 81 are on the career-long list.

Which institute in Iceland has the most Top 2% scientists?

On the 2026 career-long list, Haskoli Islands has the most listed scientists from Iceland, with 36. It is followed by Reykjavík University with 10.

How has the number of Top 2% scientists in Iceland changed since 2020?

On the career-long list, Iceland went from 43 scientists in 2020 to 81 in 2026, a change of +88.4%.

What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?

The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.

What is the official source of this data?

The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.