Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 16.1% less likely to be obese

In Israel, 26.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Iceland, that number is 21.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 37.7% more money

Israel has a GDP per capita of $48,300 as of 2023, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $66,500 as of 2023.

be 60.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Israel, 22.0% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

Life

be 53.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Israel, approximately 3.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Iceland, on the other hand, 1.6 children do as of 2022.

have 34.0% fewer children

In Israel, there are approximately 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 11.1% more likely to have internet access

In Israel, approximately 90.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iceland, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 15.7% more on healthcare

Israel spends 8.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 18.2 times more coastline

Israel has a total of 273 km of coastline. In Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.

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

Iceland: At a glance

Iceland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 100,250 sq km. Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Denmark granted limited home rule in 1874 and complete independence in 1944. The second half of the 20th century saw substantial economic growth driven primarily by the fishing industry. The economy diversified greatly after the country joined the European Economic Area in 1994, but Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.
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How big is Iceland compared to Israel? See an in-depth size comparison.

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