Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Greece instead of Sweden, you would:

Health

live 1.2 years less

In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Greece, that number is 81 years (79 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

be 20.9% more likely to be obese

In Sweden, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Greece, that number is 24.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 15.9% lower top tax rate

Sweden has a top tax rate of 57.1% as of 2016. In Greece, the top tax rate is 48.0% as of 2016.

make 43.5% less money

Sweden has a GDP per capita of $64,200 as of 2023, while in Greece, the GDP per capita is $36,300 as of 2023.

be 44.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Sweden, 7.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Greece, that number is 11.0% as of 2023.

be 16.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Sweden, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Greece, however, that number is 18.8% as of 2021.

Life

be 60.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Sweden, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Greece, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 54.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Sweden, approximately 2.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Greece, on the other hand, 3.5 children do as of 2022.

have 30.8% fewer children

In Sweden, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Greece, there are 7.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 11.4% less likely to have internet access

In Sweden, approximately 88.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Greece, about 78.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 38.9% less on education

Sweden spends 7.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Greece spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 16.7% less on healthcare

Sweden spends 11.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Greece, that number is 9.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 4.2 times more coastline

Sweden has a total of 3,218 km of coastline. In Greece, that number is 13,676 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, GSIS, Greece, Skatteverket.

Greece: At a glance

Greece is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 130,647 sq km. Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and other anti-communist and communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 1974, democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. In 2010, the prospect of a Greek default on its euro-denominated debt created severe strains within the EMU and raised the question of whether a member country might voluntarily leave the common currency or be removed.
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How big is Greece compared to Sweden? See an in-depth size comparison.

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