Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Iceland instead of Greenland, you would:

Health

live 9.7 years longer

In Greenland, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Iceland, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 60.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Greenland, 9.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2015. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

be 45.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Greenland, 16.2% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

Life

be 81.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Greenland, approximately 8.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Iceland, on the other hand, 1.6 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 43.9% more likely to have internet access

In Greenland, approximately 69.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iceland, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 24.5% less on education

Greenland spends 10.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Iceland spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 88.7% less coastline

Greenland has a total of 44,087 km of coastline. In Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Iceland: At a glance

Iceland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 100,250 sq km. Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Denmark granted limited home rule in 1874 and complete independence in 1944. The second half of the 20th century saw substantial economic growth driven primarily by the fishing industry. The economy diversified greatly after the country joined the European Economic Area in 1994, but Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.
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How big is Iceland compared to Greenland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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