# Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson

_Icelandic politician, 5th President of Iceland_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/olafur-ragnar-grimsson
Last updated: 2026-11-04

> Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is an Icelandic politician who was the fifth president of Iceland, serving from 1996 to 2016. He was previously a member of the Icelandic Parliament for the People's Alliance and served as Minister of Finance from 1988 to 1991.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 14 May 1943 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Ísafjörður ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Iceland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; university teacher; political scientist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284#P106))
- **Political party:** People's Alliance (1976–1996); Union of Liberals and Leftists (1974–1976); Progressive Party (until 1974) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284#P102))
- **Education:** University of Manchester; University of Iceland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284#P69))
- **Spouse:** Guðrún Katrín Þorbergsdóttir; Dorrit Moussaieff ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284#P26))
- **Positions held:** President of Iceland (1 August 1996 – 31 July 2016); Representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (26 June 1995 – 23 September 1996); Member of the Althing (20 April 1991 – 1 August 1996); Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs (Iceland) (10 October 1988 – 13 May 1991); Representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (21 April 1980 – 1 May 1984); Member of the Althing (25 June 1978 – 23 April 1983) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284#P39))
- **Awards:** Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav‎; Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana; Knight of the Order of the Elephant; Royal Order of the Seraphim; Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland; Order of the Three Stars, 1st Class; Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon; Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding; Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great; Order of the White Star, Collar Class; honorary doctor of the Ohio State University; Decoration for Exceptional Merits ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284#P166))

## Questions

**When was Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson born?**  
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was born on 14 May 1943 in Ísafjörður.

**What positions has Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson held?**  
Positions held by Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson include: President of Iceland (1996–2016); Representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (1995–1996); Member of the Althing (1991–1996); Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs (Iceland) (1988–1991); Representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (1980–1984).

**Where did Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson study?**  
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was educated at University of Manchester, University of Iceland.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%93lafur_Ragnar_Gr%C3%ADmsson) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q57284](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57284) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Olafur Ragnar Grimsson - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2010.jpg by Sebastian Derungs/ World Economic Forum /swiss-image.ch (CC BY-SA 2.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Olafur_Ragnar_Grimsson_-_World_Economic_Forum_Annual_Meeting_Davos_2010.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Olafur Ragnar Grimsson - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2010.jpg — Sebastian Derungs/ World Economic Forum /swiss-image.ch, CC BY-SA 2.0.

## Cite this page

"Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/olafur-ragnar-grimsson. Retrieved 7 November 2026.