Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.0 years less

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

Economy

make 17.0% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $66,500 as of 2023, while in France, the GDP per capita is $55,200 as of 2023.

be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In France, that number is 7.3% as of 2023.

be 77.3% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In France, however, that number is 15.6% as of 2021.

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 France, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 90.9% 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 France, on the other hand, 3.1 children do as of 2022.

have 13.5% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In France, there are 10.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 14.0% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In France, about 86.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 28.6% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. France spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 27.1% more on healthcare

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

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

France: At a glance

France is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 549,970 sq km. France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-8, the G-20, the EU and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to take French forces out of NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.
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How big is France compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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