Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Spain 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 Spain, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 34.3% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Spain, that number is 23.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 37.0% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $46,400 as of 2023.

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.

be 33.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Spain, however, that number is 20.2% as of 2022.

pay a 13.6% higher top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Spain, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 85.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Spain, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 52.2% 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 Spain, on the other hand, 2.5 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 Spain, there are 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 24.6% less on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Spain spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 43.1% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 75.1% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Spain, that number is 4,964 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service, Agencia Tributaria, Spain.

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
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How big is Spain compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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