On 1 January 2008 the ministerial status of Statistics Iceland will be abolished and a new Act on Statistics Iceland and official statistics will take effect. Under this Act Statistics Iceland will be a professionally-independent institution under the aegis of the Prime Minister. Article 1 of the Act states that Statistics Iceland is the centre for official statistics in Iceland and has the leading role in the organisation, coordination and conduct thereof, and also in cooperation with international organisations concerning statistics.

In connection with these changes the Director General of Statistics Iceland, Hallgrímur Snorrason, has decided to retire at the end of the year. He was appointed as of 1 January 1985, and has thus served as DG for 23 years, longer than any other present chief of a statistical institute in the world. During this period, he has led the development of official statistics in Iceland and played an active role in international cooperation in the field of official statistics.

The post of Director General was advertised in Icelandic newspapers on 16 December with a closing date for applications on 10 January 2008. The present Deputy DG, Dr Magnús S. Magnússon, will act as interim Director General until a successor has been appointed.