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
Incumbent
Bjarni Benediktsson

since 9 April 2024
Prime Minister's Office
Member of
SeatReykjavík, Capital Region
NominatorIncumbent's political party and coalition government
AppointerPresident of Iceland
Term lengthNo Term limit
Serves as long as the incumbent has majority support in the Parliament.
Constituting instrument
PrecursorMinister for Iceland
Inaugural holderJón Magnússon
Formation1 February 1904
Salary2,021,825 ISK monthly (2017)[1] Or about $15,885 USD monthly
Websiteeng.forsaetisraduneyti.is (in English)
forsaetisraduneyti.is (in Icelandic)

List of previous prime ministers

change

Home Rule (1904–1918)

change

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)

change

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)

change

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 of Republic of Iceland
Term of office
Political Party
# Took Office Left Office Days
(8)   Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
2 21 October 1944 4 February 1947 836 Independence Party IPSDPSP 1946 Sveinn Björnsson
 

17 June 1944–25 January 1952
Independent
10   Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson
(1894–1980)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
4 February 1947 6 December 1949 1036 Social Democratic Party SDPIPSP
(8)   Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
3 6 December 1949 14 March 1950 98 Independence Party IP 1949
11   Steingrímur Steinþórsson
(1893–1966)
MP for Skagafjarðarsýsla
14 March 1950 11 September 1953 1277 Progressive Party PPIP
(8)   Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
4 11 September 1953 24 July 1956 1035 Independence Party IPPP 1953 Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
 

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

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

1 August 1980–1 August 1996
Independent
19   Steingrímur Hermannsson
(1928–2010)
MP for Westfjords
1 26 May 1983 8 July 1987 1504 Progressive Party PPIP 1983
20   Þorsteinn Pálsson
(born 1947)
MP for Southern Region
8 July 1987 28 September 1988 448 Independence Party IPPPSDP 1987
(19)   Steingrímur Hermannsson
(1928–2010)
MP for Reykjanes
2 28 September 1988 10 September 1989 944 Progressive Party PPSDPPA
3 10 September 1989 30 April 1991 PPSDPPACiP
21   Davíð Oddsson
(born 1948)
MP for Reykjavík until 2003
MP for Reykjavík North from 2003
1 30 April 1991 23 April 1995 4887 Independence Party IPSDP 1991
2 23 April 1995 28 May 1999 IPPP 1995 Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
 

1 August 1996–1 August 2016
Independent
3 28 May 1999 23 May 2003 IPPP 1999
4 23 May 2003 15 September 2004 IPPP 2003
22   Halldór Ásgrímsson
(1947–2015)
MP for Reykjavík North
15 September 2004 15 June 2006 638 Progressive Party PPIP
23   Geir Hilmar Haarde
(born 1951)
MP for Reykjavík South
1 15 June 2006 24 May 2007 962 Independence Party IPPP
2 24 May 2007 1 February 2009 IPSDA 2007
24   Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
(born 1942)
MP for Reykjavík North
1 1 February 2009 10 May 2009 1572 Social Democratic Alliance SDALGM
2 10 May 2009 23 May 2013 SDALGM 2009
25   Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
(born 1975)
MP for Northeast Constituency
23 May 2013 7 April 2016 1049 Progressive Party PPIP 2013
26   Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
(born 1962)
MP for South Constituency
7 April 2016 11 January 2017 280 Progressive Party PPIP Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson
 

1 August 2016–
Independent
27   Bjarni Benediktsson
(born 1970)
MP for Southwest Constituency
11 January 2017 30 November 2017 323 Independence Party IPRPBF 2016
28   Katrín Jakobsdóttir
(born 1976)
MP for Reykjavík North
30 November 2017 9 April 2024 2322 Left-Green Movement LGMIPPP 2017
(27)   Bjarni Benediktsson
(born 1970)
MP for Southwest Constituency
9 April 2024 Incumbent 239 Independence Party IPLGMPP 2021

References

change
  1. "2016.3.001 Alþingismenn, ráðherrar og forseti Íslands" [2016.3.001 Parliamentarians, Ministers and President of Iceland] (PDF). Kjararáð (in Icelandic). p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-08-28. Retrieved 2020-05-04.




  NODES
Note 1