Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Greenland instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 4.0 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Greenland, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 36.4% more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Greenland, that number is 28.1% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 140.3 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Greenland, the GDP per capita is $58,499 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Life

be 81.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Greenland, on the other hand, 8.8 children do as of 2022.

View global rankings →

have 65.7% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Greenland, there are 12.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Greenland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 4.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Greenland, about 69.5% do as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 23.7% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Greenland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 3.5 times more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Greenland spends 10.2% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 399.8 times more home broadband

Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Greenland has 32.0 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 37.3 times more CO2

Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Greenland emits 10.4 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2022–2024), The World Factbook (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Greenland

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Greenland is 6.1 times more expensive than Afghanistan overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Afghanistan is about 3.3 times smaller than Greenland.
→
Moving from Afghanistan to Greenland · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Greenland: At a glance

Greenland is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 2,166,086 sq km. Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of increased self-rule in November 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in June 2009. Denmark, however, continues to exercise control over several policy areas on behalf of Greenland including foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland's Self-Rule Government.
Read more

How big is Greenland compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

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