Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 12.3 years longer

In Mongolia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (67 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.

Economy

make 4.1 times more money

Mongolia has a GDP per capita of $16,300 as of 2023, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $66,500 as of 2023.

be 41.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Mongolia, 6.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

be 68.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mongolia, 27.8% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

pay a 4.6 times higher top tax rate

Mongolia has a top tax rate of 10.0% as of 2016. In Iceland, the top tax rate is 46.3% as of 2016.

Life

be 92.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mongolia, approximately 39.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 91.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Mongolia, approximately 20.2 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 15.4% fewer children

In Mongolia, there are approximately 14.9 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 19.0% more likely to have internet access

In Mongolia, approximately 84.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iceland, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

be 14.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Mongolia, approximately 88% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 64% 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 63.8% more on education

Mongolia spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Iceland spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 95.9% more on healthcare

Mongolia spends 4.9% 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, Directorate of Internal Revenue, General Department of National Taxation.

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 Mongolia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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