Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Iceland instead of Western Sahara, you would:

Health

live 19.1 years longer

In Western Sahara, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 26.6 times more money

Western Sahara has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2007, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $66,500 as of 2023.

Life

be 96.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Western Sahara, approximately 47.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Iceland, on the other hand, 1.6 children do as of 2022.

have 55.0% fewer children

In Western Sahara, there are approximately 28.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Iceland, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Geography

see 4.5 times more coastline

Western Sahara has a total of 1,110 km of coastline. In Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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

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