Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Aruba instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 24.4 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Aruba, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 20.6 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in Aruba, the GDP per capita is $41,300 as of 2022.

be 46.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Aruba, that number is 7.7% as of 2016.

pay a 3.0 times higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Aruba, the top tax rate is 59.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 2.6 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Aruba, it is 97.8% as of 2018.

be 88.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Aruba, on the other hand, 12.1 children do as of 2022.

have 66.1% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Aruba, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 17.1% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Aruba, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 5.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Aruba, about 97.0% do as of 2021.

be 28.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Aruba, that number is 98% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2015.

Expenditures

spend 2.1 times more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Aruba spends 6.2% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Ministerio di Finansas, Comunicacion, Utilidad y Energia.

Aruba: At a glance

Aruba is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 180 sq km. Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
Read more

How big is Aruba compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Aruba.or Afghanistan It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.