Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.2 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Albania, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 50.3% lower top tax rate

Iceland has a top tax rate of 46.3% as of 2016. In Albania, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

make 72.8% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $66,500 as of 2023, while in Albania, the GDP per capita is $18,100 as of 2023.

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Albania, that number is 11.6% as of 2023.

be 2.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Albania, however, that number is 22.0% as of 2020.

Life

be 2.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Iceland, approximately 3.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Albania, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 6.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In Iceland, approximately 1.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Albania, on the other hand, 10.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 21.0% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Albania, about 79.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 59.7% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Albania spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 30.2% less on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Albania, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2018.

Geography

see 92.7% less coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In Albania, that number is 362 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Albanian Taxation Office, Directorate of Internal Revenue.

Albania: At a glance

Albania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 27,398 sq km. Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939, and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.
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How big is Albania compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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