Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Finland instead of United States, you would:

Health

live 1.2 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Finland, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 38.7% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Finland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 19.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Finland, however, that number is 12.2% as of 2022.

make 21.9% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Finland, the GDP per capita is $57,500 as of 2023.

be 97.2% more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Finland, that number is 7.2% as of 2023.

pay a 30.3% higher top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Finland, the top tax rate is 51.6% as of 2016.

Life

be 61.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Finland, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 58.8% less likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Finland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2022.

have 16.4% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Finland, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 48.9% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Finland, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 93.7% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Finland, that number is 1,250 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Finnish Tax Administration, The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service.

Finland: At a glance

Finland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 303,815 sq km. Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.
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How big is Finland compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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