Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.2 years longer

In Syria, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Portugal, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 25.2% less likely to be obese

In Syria, 27.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Portugal, that number is 20.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 14.4 times more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2021, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $41,700 as of 2023.

be 52.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

be 80.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Portugal, however, that number is 16.4% as of 2021.

pay a 2.6 times higher top tax rate

Syria has a top tax rate of 22.0% as of 2016. In Portugal, the top tax rate is 56.5% as of 2016.

Life

be 60.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Syria, approximately 30.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Portugal, 12.0 women do as of 2020.

be 11.0% more likely to be literate

In Syria, the literacy rate is 86.4% as of 2015. In Portugal, it is 95.9% as of 2021.

be 84.2% 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 Portugal, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 62.7% fewer children

In Syria, there are approximately 21.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Portugal, there are 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 12.4% more likely to have access to electricity

In Syria, approximately 89% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Portugal, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 76.0% more likely to have internet access

In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Portugal, about 82.0% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 9.3 times more coastline

Syria has a total of 193 km of coastline. In Portugal, that number is 1,793 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Syria, Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira.

Portugal: At a glance

Portugal is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 91,470 sq km. Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
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How big is Portugal compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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