Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 96.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Rwanda, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2020.

live 17.8 years longer

In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 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 3.8 times more likely to be obese

In Rwanda, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Iceland, that number is 21.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 22.2 times more money

Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $3,000 as of 2023, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $66,500 as of 2023.

be 76.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 14.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

be 77.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Rwanda, 38.2% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

pay a 54.3% higher top tax rate

Rwanda has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Iceland, the top tax rate is 46.3% as of 2016.

Life

be 98.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Rwanda, approximately 259.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 93.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Rwanda, approximately 26.4 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 52.3% fewer children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 26.4 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 97.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 51% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Iceland, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 3.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Rwanda, approximately 30.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iceland, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

be 20.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Rwanda, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 81% 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 2.0 times more on education

Rwanda spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Iceland spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 31.5% more on healthcare

Rwanda spends 7.3% 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, Rwanda Revenue Authority, Directorate of Internal Revenue.

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.
Read more

How big is Iceland compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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