Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 6.4 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Hungary, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 20.5% more likely to be obese

In Iceland, 21.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Hungary, that number is 26.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 67.6% lower top tax rate

Iceland has a top tax rate of 46.3% as of 2016. In Hungary, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.

make 38.9% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $66,500 as of 2023, while in Hungary, the GDP per capita is $40,600 as of 2023.

be 16.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Hungary, that number is 4.1% as of 2023.

be 37.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Hungary, however, that number is 12.1% as of 2021.

Life

be 5.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Iceland, approximately 3.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Hungary, 15.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.8 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 Hungary, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2022.

have 27.8% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Hungary, there are 9.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 10.7% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Hungary, about 89.3% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 37.7% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Hungary spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 24.0% less on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Hungary, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary, Directorate of Internal Revenue.

Hungary: At a glance

Hungary is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 89,608 sq km. Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years later. In 2011, Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU for the first time.
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How big is Hungary compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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