Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.0 years longer

In Portugal, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 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 14.4% more likely to be obese

In Portugal, 20.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Spain, that number is 23.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 11.3% more money

Portugal has a GDP per capita of $41,700 as of 2023, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $46,400 as of 2023.

pay a 20.4% lower top tax rate

Portugal has a top tax rate of 56.5% as of 2016. In Spain, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

be 87.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Portugal, 6.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.

be 23.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Portugal, 16.4% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Spain, however, that number is 20.2% as of 2022.

Life

be 75.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Portugal, approximately 12.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Spain, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

have 12.3% fewer children

In Portugal, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Spain, there are 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 14.6% more likely to have internet access

In Portugal, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Spain, about 94.0% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 2.8 times more coastline

Portugal has a total of 1,793 km of coastline. In Spain, that number is 4,964 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Agencia Tributaria, Spain, Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira.

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

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