Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 21.2 years longer

In Mali, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 65 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 2.5 times more likely to be obese

In Mali, 8.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Iceland, that number is 21.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 26.6 times more money

Mali has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $66,500 as of 2023.

be 80.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mali, 44.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

be 18.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Mali, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

Life

be 99.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mali, approximately 440.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 97.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Mali, approximately 60.6 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 69.3% fewer children

In Mali, there are approximately 41.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Iceland, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 88.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Mali, approximately 53% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Iceland, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 2.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Mali, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iceland, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

be 15.7% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Mali, approximately 86% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 76% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 75.0% more on education

Mali spends 4.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Iceland spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

Mali spends 4.3% 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: 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 Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.

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