Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 28.9 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Spain, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.3 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Spain, that number is 23.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 23.2 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $46,400 as of 2023.

be 15.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.

be 62.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Spain, however, that number is 20.2% as of 2022.

pay a 2.2 times higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Spain, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 99.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Spain, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.6 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Spain, it is 98.6% as of 2020.

be 97.6% 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 Spain, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 79.2% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Spain, there are 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Spain, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 5.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Spain, about 94.0% do as of 2021.

be 30.6% 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 Spain, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 31.0% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 58.6% more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Spain spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Agencia Tributaria, Spain.

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
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How big is Spain compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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