Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Colombia instead of Syria, you would:

Health

be 19.8% less likely to be obese

In Syria, 27.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Colombia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.5 times more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2021, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $18,800 as of 2023.

be 29.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 9.6% as of 2023.

be 55.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Colombia, however, that number is 36.6% as of 2022.

pay a 50.0% higher top tax rate

Syria has a top tax rate of 22.0% as of 2016. In Colombia, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 10.6% more likely to be literate

In Syria, the literacy rate is 86.4% as of 2015. In Colombia, it is 95.6% as of 2020.

be 26.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Syria, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Colombia, on the other hand, 11.7 children do as of 2022.

be 2.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Syria, approximately 30.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Colombia, 75.0 women do as of 2020.

have 31.3% fewer children

In Syria, there are approximately 21.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Colombia, there are 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 12.4% more likely to have access to electricity

In Syria, approximately 89% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Colombia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 56.7% more likely to have internet access

In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Colombia, about 73.0% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 16.6 times more coastline

Syria has a total of 193 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Syria, Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN).

Colombia: At a glance

Colombia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,038,700 sq km. Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A nearly five-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, but continue attacks against civilians. Large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. In November 2012, the Colombian Government started formal peace negotiations with the FARC aimed at reaching a definitive bilateral ceasefire and incorporating demobilized FARC members into mainstream society and politics. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
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How big is Colombia compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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