Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.0 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Italy, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 45.0% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Italy, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 28.4% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Italy, the GDP per capita is $52,700 as of 2023.

be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Italy, that number is 7.6% as of 2023.

be 33.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Italy, however, that number is 20.1% as of 2021.

pay a 23.2% higher top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Italy, the top tax rate is 48.8% as of 2016.

Life

be 76.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Italy, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 38.9% 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 Italy, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2022.

have 41.8% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Italy, there are 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 18.5% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Italy, about 75.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 29.5% less on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Italy spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 48.9% less on healthcare

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

Geography

see 61.9% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Italy, that number is 7,600 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Italian Revenue Agency, Internal Revenue Service.

Italy: At a glance

Italy is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 294,140 sq km. Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy is a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include sluggish economic growth, high youth and female unemployment, organized crime, corruption, and economic disparities between southern Italy and the more prosperous north.
Read more

How big is Italy compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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