Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Iceland instead of Tajikistan, you would:

Health

live 14.3 years longer

In Tajikistan, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 73 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 54.2% more likely to be obese

In Tajikistan, 14.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Iceland, that number is 21.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 14.5 times more money

Tajikistan has a GDP per capita of $4,600 as of 2023, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $66,500 as of 2023.

be 49.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Tajikistan, 7.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

be 60.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Tajikistan, 22.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

pay a 3.6 times higher top tax rate

Tajikistan has a top tax rate of 13.0% as of 2016. In Iceland, the top tax rate is 46.3% as of 2016.

Life

be 82.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Tajikistan, approximately 17.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 94.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Tajikistan, approximately 32.3 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 51.2% fewer children

In Tajikistan, there are approximately 25.8 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 3.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Tajikistan, approximately 30.4% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Iceland, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

be 18.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Tajikistan, approximately 84% of people have improved drinking water access (96% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 30.5% more on education

Tajikistan spends 5.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Iceland spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 17.1% more on healthcare

Tajikistan spends 8.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: National Center of Legislation under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, The World Factbook, Directorate of Internal Revenue.

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.
Read more

How big is Iceland compared to Tajikistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Iceland.or Tajikistan It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.