Prime Minister of Iceland

Icelandic head of government

The prime minister of Iceland (Icelandic: Forsætisráðherra Íslands) is Iceland's head of government. The prime minister is appointed formally by the president.

Prime Minister of Iceland
Forsætisráðherra Íslands  (Icelandic)
Incumbent
Kristrún Frostadóttir

since 21 December 2024
Prime Minister's Office
Style
Member of
SeatReykjavík, Iceland
AppointerPresident
Term lengthNo term limit
Constituting instrument
PrecursorMinister for Iceland
Inaugural holderJón Magnússon
Formation1 February 1904; 120 years ago (1904-02-01)
Salary2,021,825 kr/US$ 14,038 monthly[1]
Websiteeng.forsaetisraduneyti.is (in English)
forsaetisraduneyti.is (in Icelandic)

List of previous prime ministers

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Home Rule (1904–1918)

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Political party:   Home Rule   Independence   Union   Independent

No Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Took office Left office Party
  Hannes Þórður Pétursson Hafstein
(1861–1922)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
1 February 1904 31 March 1909 Home Rule Party
  Björn Jónsson
(1846–1912)
MP for Barðastrandarsýsla
31 March 1909 14 March 1911 Independence Party
  Kristján Jónsson
(1852–1926)
MP for Borgarfjarðarsýsla
14 March 1911 24 July 1912 Independent
  Hannes Hafstein
(1861–1922)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
24 July 1912 21 July 1914 Union Party
  Sigurður Eggerz
(1875–1945)
MP for West Skaftafellssýsla
21 July 1914 4 May 1915 Independence Party
  Einar Arnórsson
(1880–1955)
MP for Árnessýsla
4 May 1915 4 January 1917 Independence Party
(Langsum)

Kingdom (1918–1944)

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Political party:   Home Rule   Independence   Conservative   Progressive   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Term of office Political Party Cabinet Election
# Took Office Left Office Days
1   Jón Magnússon
(1859–1926)
MP for Reykjavík until 1920
not in Parliament from 1920
1 4 January 1917 25 February 1920 1888 Home Rule Party HPIPPP Oct. 1916
2 25 February 1920 7 March 1922 HP–others 1919
2   Sigurður Eggerz
(1875–1945)
MP without constituency
7 March 1922 22 March 1924 746 Independence Party IP–others
1923
(1)   Jón Magnússon
(1859–1926)
MP without constituency
3 22 March 1924 23 June 1926 (died) 823 Conservative Party CP
3   Magnús Guðmundsson
Acting
(1879–1937)
MP for Skagafjarðarsýsla
23 June 1926 8 July 1926 15 Conservative Party
4   Jón Þorláksson
(1877–1935)
MP without constituency
8 July 1926 28 August 1927 416 Conservative Party CP
5   Tryggvi Þórhallsson
(1889–1935)
MP for Strandasýsla
28 August 1927 3 June 1932 1741 Progressive Party PP 1927
1931
6   Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
(1894–1972)
MP for West Ísafjarðarsýsla
3 June 1932 28 July 1934 785 Progressive Party PPIP–Peasants
1933
7   Hermann Jónasson
(1896–1976)
MP for Strandasýsla
1 28 July 1934 2 April 1938 2849 Progressive Party PPSDP 1934
2 2 April 1938 17 April 1939 PP 1937
3 17 April 1939 18 November 1941 PPIPSDP
4 18 November 1941 16 May 1942 PPIPSDP
8   Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
1 16 May 1942 16 December 1942 214 Independence Party IP Jul.1942
Oct.1942
9   Björn Þórðarson
(1879–1963)
not in Parliament
16 December 1942 21 October 1944 675 Independent

Republic (1944–present)

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Political party:   Independence   Progressive   Social Democratic Party   Social Democratic Alliance   Left-Green

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Term of office Political Party Cabinet Election President
(term)
# Took Office Left Office Days
(12)   Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
2 21 October
1944
4 February
1947
836 Independence Party IPSDPSP 1946 Sveinn
Björnsson

 
(1944–1952)
14   Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson
(1894–1980)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
1 4 February
1947
6 December
1949
1036 Social Democratic Party
(12)   Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
3 6 December
1949
14 March
1950
98 Independence Party IP 1949
15   Steingrímur Steinþórsson
(1893–1966)
MP for Skagafjarðarsýsla
1 14 March
1950
11 September
1953
1277 Progressive Party PPIP
(12)   Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
4 11 September
1953
24 July
1956
1035 Independence Party 1953 Ásgeir
Ásgeirsson

 
(1952–1968)
(11)   Hermann Jónasson
(1896–1976)
MP for Strandasýsla
5 24 July
1956
23 December
1958
894 Progressive Party PPSDPPA 1956
16   Emil Jónsson
(1902–1986)
MP for Hafnarfjörður
1 23 December
1958
20 November
1959
332 Social Democratic Party SDP Jun.
1959
(12)   Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
5 20 November
1959
8 September
1961
658 Independence Party IPSDP Oct.
1959
17   Bjarni Benediktsson
Acting
(1908–1970)
MP for Reykjavík
8 September
1961
31 December
1961
114 Independence Party
(12)   Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
1 January
1962
14 November
1963
682 Independence Party
(17)   Bjarni Benediktsson
(1908–1970)
MP for Reykjavík
1 14 November
1963
10 July
1970
(died)
2430 Independence Party 1963
1967 Kristján
Eldjárn

 
(1968–1980)
18   Jóhann Hafstein
(1915–1980)
MP for Reykjavík
1 Acting: 10 July
10 October
1970
14 July
1971
369 Independence Party
19 Ólafur Jóhannesson
(1913–1984)
MP for Northwestern
1 14 July
1971
28 August
1974
1141 Progressive Party PPPALL 1971
20   Geir Hallgrímsson
(1925–1990)
MP for Reykjavík
1 28 August
1974
1 September
1978
1465 Independence Party IPPP 1974
(19) Ólafur Jóhannesson
(1913–1984)
MP for Northwestern
2 1 September
1978
15 October
1979
409 Progressive Party PPPA 1978
21 Benedikt Gröndal
(1924–2010)
MP for Reykjavík
1 15 October
1979
8 February
1980
116 Social Democratic Party SDP 1979
22 Gunnar Thoroddsen
(1910–1983)
MP for Reykjavík
1 8 February
1980
26 May
1983
1203 Independence Party
(*Gunnar's faction)
IP*–PPPA Vigdís
Finnbogadóttir

 
(1980–1996)
23   Steingrímur Hermannsson
(1928–2010)
MP for Westfjords
1 26 May
1983
8 July
1987
1504 Progressive Party PPIP 1983
24   Þorsteinn Pálsson
(born 1947)
MP for Southern
1 8 July
1987
28 September
1988
448 Independence Party IPPPSDP 1987
(23)   Steingrímur Hermannsson
(1928–2010)
MP for Reykjanes
2 28 September
1988
30 April
1991
944 Progressive Party PPSDPPA
3 PPSDPPACiP
25   Davíð Oddsson
(born 1948)
MP for Reykjavík until 2003
MP for Reykjavík North from 2003
1 30 April
1991
15 September
2004
4887 Independence Party IPSDP 1991
2 IPPP 1995 Ólafur
Ragnar
Grímsson

 
(1996–2016)
3 1999
4 2003
26   Halldór Ásgrímsson
(1947–2015)
MP for Reykjavík North
1 15 September
2004
15 June
2006
638 Progressive Party
27   Geir Haarde
(born 1951)
MP for Reykjavík South
1 15 June
2006
1 February
2009
962 Independence Party
2 IPSDA 2007
28   Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
(born 1942)
MP for Reykjavík North
1 1 February
2009
23 May
2013
1572 Social Democratic Alliance SDALGM
2 2009
29   Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
(born 1975)
MP for Northeast
1 23 May
2013
7 April
2016
1049 Progressive Party PPIP 2013
30   Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
(born 1962)
MP for South
1 7 April
2016
11 January
2017
280 Progressive Party Guðni
Thorlacius
Jóhannesson

 
(2016–2024)
31   Bjarni Benediktsson
(born 1970)
MP for Southwest
1 11 January
2017
30 November
2017
323 Independence Party IPRPBF 2016
32   Katrín Jakobsdóttir
(born 1976)
MP for Reykjavík North
1 30 November
2017
9 April
2024
2322 Left-Green Movement LGMIPPP 2017
2 2021
(31)   Bjarni Benediktsson
(born 1970)
MP for Southwest
2 9 April
2024
21 December
2024
256 Independence Party Halla
Tómasdóttir

 
(2024–present)
33   Kristrún Frostadóttir
(born 1988)
MP for Reykjavík South
1 21 December
2024
Incumbent 5 Social Democratic Alliance SDARPPP 2024

References

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  1. "2016.3.001 Alþingismenn, ráðherrar og forseti Íslands" [2016.3.001 Parliamentarians, Ministers and President of Iceland] (PDF). Kjararáð (in Icelandic). p. 7.