Total imports Export
imports and exports surplus
1896—1900 5 966 2 980 L 048
1901 —1905 3497 #921 1927
1906 1910 . [1531 25 38 2176
1911—1915 (8 112 10 £80 1256
1916~1920 . 33709 48453 102 162 5 256
1921-1925 , 56562 64 212 120 774 7 650
1926 . . . 57767 53070 110837 --4 697
1927 . . . 53162 63153 116 315 9 991
This summary shows that the exports have usually, though not al-
ways during the Great War and the years immediately succeeding, ex-
ceeded the imports in value.
Compared with the number of population the total foreign trade
(imports and exports) is larger than that of most other countries. This
is largely due to the fact, that a country like Iceland which has a very
limited range of products, must depend on foreign countries for a great
number of important goods and necessaries.
The import and export value per head of inhabitants may be seen
from the following summary:
1896—1900
1901—1905
1906—1910
1911—1915
1916—1920
1921—1925
i926 . . .
qQ27
Total
169 kr,
228 —
39 304 —
207 "63 —
3€3 - 9 —
580 - bo 1238
568 — 522 - 1090
515 — 611 — 1126
(mports
8 %&r
Exports
Ng
It should be mentioned that the great increase in 1916—1920 is due sole-
ly to the enormous general rise in the price-level during the Great War.
The subjoined table roughly shows the value of the imports to Ice-
land, distributed over the following groups:
Total value
1000 kr. 1000 kr.
1926 1927
7821 7532
708 4811
2 - 502
7758
7617
1000 kr. Reckoned in percent.
1925 1925 1926 1927
Foodstuffs . . . . . . . 3651 3.7 25 14.2
Coffee, sugar, tobacco etc. . 5903 Bu 9 9.0
Other goods for consumption 4 537 6.6
Textiles and clothes. . . . 11590 14.6
Fuel and lighting materials . 9 334 14.3
Building materials . . . . 6009 * 851 9.1
Materials for the fishing trade 12178 ~ 111 18.2 15.3
Materials for farming . . , 136% 1220 1,9 2.0 2.3
Various materials for production 9 624 7760 137 163 14.6
Total 70191 57 767 53162 100.0 100.0 100.0