Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 70.2% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Mauritius, that number is 10.8% of people as of 2016.

live 5.7 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Mauritius, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 31.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Mauritius, however, that number is 10.3% as of 2017.

pay a 62.1% lower top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Mauritius, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.

make 63.9% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Mauritius, the GDP per capita is $26,600 as of 2023.

be 66.9% more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Mauritius, that number is 6.1% as of 2023.

Life

be 4.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Mauritius, 84.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.3 times more 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 Mauritius, on the other hand, 12.1 children do as of 2022.

have 19.7% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mauritius, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 26.1% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Mauritius, about 68.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 19.7% less on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Mauritius spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 64.4% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Mauritius, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 99.1% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Mauritius, that number is 177 km.

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

Mauritius: At a glance

Mauritius is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 2,030 sq km. Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes.
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How big is Mauritius compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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