Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.2 years less

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

be 13.7% more likely to be obese

In Iceland, 21.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Greece, that number is 24.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 45.4% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $66,500 as of 2023, while in Greece, the GDP per capita is $36,300 as of 2023.

be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Greece, that number is 11.0% as of 2023.

be 2.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Greece, however, that number is 18.8% 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 Greece, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.2 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 Greece, on the other hand, 3.5 children do as of 2022.

have 41.3% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Greece, there are 7.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 22.0% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Greece, about 78.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 42.9% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Greece spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.8 times more coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In Greece, that number is 13,676 km.

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

Greece: At a glance

Greece is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 130,647 sq km. Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and other anti-communist and communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 1974, democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. In 2010, the prospect of a Greek default on its euro-denominated debt created severe strains within the EMU and raised the question of whether a member country might voluntarily leave the common currency or be removed.
Read more

How big is Greece compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Greece.or Iceland It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.