Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.2 years longer

In Mexico, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Spain, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 17.6% less likely to be obese

In Mexico, 28.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Spain, that number is 23.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.1 times more money

Mexico has a GDP per capita of $22,400 as of 2023, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $46,400 as of 2023.

be 44.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mexico, 36.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Spain, however, that number is 20.2% as of 2022.

be 4.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Mexico, 2.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.

pay a 28.6% higher top tax rate

Mexico has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Spain, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 94.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mexico, approximately 59.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Spain, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 79.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Mexico, approximately 11.9 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 50.3% fewer children

In Mexico, there are approximately 14.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Spain, there are 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 23.7% more likely to have internet access

In Mexico, approximately 76.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Spain, about 94.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 72.6% more on healthcare

Mexico spends 6.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 46.8% less coastline

Mexico has a total of 9,330 km of coastline. In Spain, that number is 4,964 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Servicio de Administración Tributaria, SHCP, Agencia Tributaria, Spain.

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.
Read more

How big is Spain compared to Mexico? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Spain.or Mexico It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.