Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.1 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Spain, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 30.2% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $66,500 as of 2023, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $46,400 as of 2023.

be 3.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.

be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Spain, however, that number is 20.2% as of 2022.

Life

be 49.7% 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 Spain, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 43.7% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Spain, there are 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 40.3% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Spain spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 11.5% more on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
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How big is Spain compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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