Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Syria, you would:

Health

live 7.4 years longer

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

Economy

make 14.8 times more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2021, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $43,000 as of 2023.

be 56.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2023.

pay a 50.0% higher top tax rate

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

Life

be 61.9% 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

have 64.1% fewer children

In Syria, there are approximately 21.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 7.8 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 the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 66.7% more likely to have internet access

In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, about 77.7% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 29.4% less on education

Syria spends 5.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2009. Puerto Rico spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 2.6 times more coastline

Syria has a total of 193 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Syria, Puerto Rican Department of Treasury.

Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
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How big is Puerto Rico compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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