Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 98.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Malawi, 8.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2020.

live 11.2 years longer

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Iceland, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.8 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Iceland, that number is 21.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 37.1 times more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2022, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $55,600 as of 2022.

be 25.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Malawi, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Iceland, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.

be 82.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Malawi, 50.7% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

pay a 54.3% higher top tax rate

Malawi has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Iceland, the top tax rate is 46.3% as of 2016.

Life

be 99.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Malawi, approximately 381.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 95.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Malawi, approximately 33.4 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 52.6% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 26.6 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 7.1 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Malawi, approximately 14% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Iceland, 100% of the population do as of 2021.

be 4.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 24.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iceland, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 2.7 times more on education

Malawi spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Iceland spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 77.8% more on healthcare

Malawi spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Directorate of Internal Revenue.

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 Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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