Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Iceland instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

be 99.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2020.

live 18.3 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 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 22.6% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Iceland, that number is 21.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.7 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $66,500 as of 2023.

be 87.3% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

be 47.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

Life

be 97.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 93.6% less likely to die during infancy

In South Africa, approximately 25.9 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 28.8% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 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 15.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In South Africa, approximately 86% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Iceland, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 38.9% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iceland, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 16.7% more on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Iceland spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 11.6% more on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 77.6% more coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 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 South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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