Network Iceland
Qualitative market research agency in Iceland
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Iceland, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to UX research and customer intercepts, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Iceland has 399,000 people, and 99.0 per cent of them use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026), one of the highest rates in the world. Most of the population lives in and around Reykjavík, prices are in krónur, and visitors outnumber residents several times over in a year. Research in Iceland is small by design: a handful of well-chosen interviews, in Icelandic, with residents and visitors kept apart.
AT A GLANCE
Iceland at a glance for researchers
- Population. 399,000 people, median age 36.2, 94.2 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). The capital region around Reykjavík holds most of Iceland's residents. Akureyri is the main town of the north, and the rest of the country is made up of small towns and farms along the coast. Reykjavík is the capital, and Keflavík, 50 kilometres away, is the international airport.
- Languages. Icelandic, in every consumer session. English is spoken to a high level, and many professionals work in it daily, but people describe food, family and money more fully in Icelandic. Our moderators live in Iceland.
- Internet and mobile. Internet users number 395,000, or 99.0 per cent of the population, alongside 557,000 mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Fixed lines are among the fastest we see, with a median download speed of 262.98 Mbps (same source), and social media counts 335,000 user identities, 83.9 per cent of the population. Online interviews reach every town.
- Where fieldwork happens. Reykjavík and the neighbouring towns of Kópavogur and Hafnarfjörður first, then Akureyri for the north. Towns in the Westfjords and the east are reached by video.
- Data protection. The GDPR applies in Iceland through the European Economic Area. Consent is taken before each session, after a plain explanation of what is recorded and how it will be used.
- Timing. July and early August are holiday weeks, ending with the Commerce Day weekend on the first Monday of August. 17 June is the National Day. In winter, storms close roads and cancel domestic flights, so in-person sessions outside Reykjavík have an online fallback.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Iceland?
In Iceland, everybody in a category can be a short list. With 399,000 residents, a profile such as owners of an electric car bought this year or buyers for a retail chain numbers in the dozens. A study in Iceland is built around depth with a few people. Recruitment starts earlier than in a large country, because each refusal matters.
- Depth with a few. Six to ten in-depth interviews answer most questions in Iceland. Groups are kept for broad consumer subjects, and we tell you at the quote stage how many people the profile holds. Each interview lasts 60 to 90 minutes, long enough to follow one person's reasoning from need to purchase.
- Icelandic first. Sessions with consumers run in Icelandic, with a moderator who lives in Iceland, and your team follows through simultaneous interpretation. English is kept for professional interviews when the participant prefers it.
- Residents and visitors apart. Tourism is one of the country's largest industries. A study of food, retail or transport says whether it is about people who live in Iceland or people passing through, and screens for it. Interviews with visitors are run in English, at the airport, in hotels or at the attraction itself.
- Prices in krónur. Prices in Iceland are high by European standards and shown in krónur. Price research shows the real shelf price, and asks what people order from abroad and what they bring back from trips. Online orders from abroad arrive with duties and delivery costs, and participants are asked what they paid in total.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Iceland?
- We recruit through local partners in Reykjavík and Akureyri, by town, age and category use. Each participant is confirmed by phone the day before the session, and the quota grid is approved by you before the first call. Recruitment by referral is checked, so that friends and relatives do not end up in the same study.
- Business audiences are approached directly, one by one, and their role is checked before the interview is booked. Frequent study participants are screened out of consumer groups.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Iceland?
Most studies in Iceland run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with UX research, customer intercepts or online diaries when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Most studies: consumers, professionals and narrow profiles, in person or by video | Asking for a sample larger than the profile holds |
| Focus groups | Broad consumer subjects in Reykjavík: food, retail, telecoms | Participants who know each other, in a country this small |
| UX research | Banking, retail and public-service apps, tested in Icelandic | An interface left in English for an everyday service |
| Customer intercepts | Shops, pools, airports and venues, with residents and visitors screened apart | Peak summer weeks, when visitors dominate the sample |
| Online diaries | Routines at home over one or two weeks | Holiday weeks in July, when routines change |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Iceland
How much does market research cost in Iceland?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Iceland added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Travel outside Reykjavík and simultaneous interpretation from Icelandic move the price more than the number of interviews. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Iceland?
Choose by what the study has to decide. An Icelandic polling company fits a national survey with a panel. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Iceland that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Is Iceland too small for qualitative research?
Iceland is small, and qualitative research suits it for that reason. A dozen interviews can cover a meaningful share of a narrow audience. The limit is the size of each profile: we tell you how many people exist before the study is designed, and we do not promise groups that cannot be filled. A second round with the same people is possible, and useful when a concept changes.
Can research in Iceland be run in English?
Research with professionals in Iceland can often run in English, because many work in it daily. For consumers, Icelandic gives fuller answers on everyday subjects, so those sessions are moderated in Icelandic and interpreted live for your team. We ask each participant at recruitment.
Does a study in Iceland need to go beyond Reykjavík?
For most consumer decisions, Reykjavík and its neighbouring towns are enough, since most residents live there. Add Akureyri when distribution, transport or services differ in the north. Smaller towns are reached by video, and winter travel is planned with a fallback.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Iceland told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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