Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 10.0% less likely to be obese

In Iceland, 21.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Denmark, that number is 19.7% of people as of 2016.

live 2.0 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Denmark, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 44.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Denmark, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.

be 40.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Denmark, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2021.

pay a 20.5% higher top tax rate

Iceland has a top tax rate of 46.3% as of 2016. In Denmark, the top tax rate is 55.8% as of 2017.

Life

be 66.7% more likely to die during childbirth

In Iceland, approximately 3.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Denmark, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 84.2% 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 Denmark, on the other hand, 3.0 children do as of 2022.

have 10.3% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Denmark, there are 11.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 16.9% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Denmark spends 6.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 47.2% more coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In Denmark, that number is 7,314 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Danish Central Tax Administration, Directorate of Internal Revenue.

Denmark: At a glance

Denmark is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 42,434 sq km. Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
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How big is Denmark compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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