Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.5 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Armenia, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 22.2% lower top tax rate

Iceland has a top tax rate of 46.3% as of 2016. In Armenia, the top tax rate is 36.0% as of 2016.

make 68.7% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $66,500 as of 2023, while in Armenia, the GDP per capita is $20,800 as of 2023.

be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Armenia, that number is 8.6% as of 2023.

be 2.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Armenia, however, that number is 24.8% as of 2022.

Life

be 9.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Iceland, approximately 3.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Armenia, 27.0 women do as of 2020.

be 7.4 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 Armenia, on the other hand, 12.2 children do as of 2022.

have 16.7% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Armenia, there are 10.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 23.0% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Armenia, about 77.0% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 63.6% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Armenia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 27.1% more on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Armenia, that number is 12.2% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Directorate of Internal Revenue, Tax Service of Republic of Armenia.

Armenia: At a glance

Armenia is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 28,203 sq km. Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in at least 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey closed the common border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas, further hampering Armenian economic growth. In 2009, senior Armenian leaders began pursuing rapprochement with Turkey, aiming to secure an opening of the border, but Turkey has not yet ratified the Protocols normalizing relations between the two countries. In September 2013, President SARGSIAN announced Armenia would join Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.
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