Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.9 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Cyprus, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 24.4% lower top tax rate

Iceland has a top tax rate of 46.3% as of 2016. In Cyprus, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

make 23.9% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $66,500 as of 2023, while in Cyprus, the GDP per capita is $50,600 as of 2023.

be 67.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Cyprus, that number is 6.0% as of 2023.

be 58.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Cyprus, however, that number is 13.9% as of 2021.

Life

be 22.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Iceland, approximately 3.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Cyprus, 68.0 women do as of 2020.

be 5.1 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 Cyprus, on the other hand, 8.4 children do as of 2022.

have 19.0% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cyprus, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 20.8% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Cyprus spends 6.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 15.6% less on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Cyprus, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 87.0% less coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In Cyprus, that number is 648 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Inland Revenue Department of the Republic of Cyprus, The World Factbook, Directorate of Internal Revenue.

Cyprus: At a glance

Cyprus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 9,241 sq km. A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.
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How big is Cyprus compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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