Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Uruguay instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 5.2 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 50.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Hong Kong, 19.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Uruguay, however, that number is 9.9% as of 2022.

make 58.3% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $58,500 as of 2022, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $24,400 as of 2022.

be 82.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 4.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 7.9% as of 2022.

pay a 100.0% higher top tax rate

Hong Kong has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Uruguay, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 65.8% more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 7.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Uruguay, on the other hand, 8.3 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 15.0% more on education

Hong Kong spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Uruguay spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Dirección General Impositiva, Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong.

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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