Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Iceland instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 11.9 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 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 3.2 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Iceland, that number is 21.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 39.1 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $66,500 as of 2023.

be 18.7% more likely to be unemployed

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

Life

be 97.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 92.6% less likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 22.2 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.

Basic Needs

be 82.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 55% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Iceland, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

Geography

see 99.2% more coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 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 North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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