A method for executing scalable single-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD) instructions includes performing a query to determine a hardware vector length of a SIMD processor. The method also includes scaling a first instruction of the scalable SIMD instructions to a first scaled vector length to generate a first scaled instruction. The first scaled vector length is based on the hardware vector length, and the first instruction is a compiled instruction having an adaptable vector length. The method also includes adjusting a first number of iterations to be used by the SIMD processor to perform first operations associated with the first instruction based on the first scaled vector length.