Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Iceland, you would:

Health

live 1.7 years less

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

be 26.9% more likely to be obese

In Iceland, 21.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 18.6% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $66,500 as of 2023, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $54,100 as of 2023.

be 14.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.1% 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 United Kingdom, however, that number is 18.6% as of 2017.

Life

be 3.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Iceland, approximately 3.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In United Kingdom, 10.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.3 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 United Kingdom, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2022.

have 14.3% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 28.6% less on education

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

spend 25.0% more on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In United Kingdom, that number is 12.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.5 times more coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.

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

United Kingdom: At a glance

United Kingdom (sometimes abbreviated UK) is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 241,930 sq km. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish Republic's withdrawal from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010.
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How big is United Kingdom compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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