Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 28.5 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Netherlands, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.7 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Netherlands, that number is 20.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 27.1 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2020, while in Netherlands, the GDP per capita is $54,200 as of 2020.

be 85.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 23.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Netherlands, that number is 3.4% as of 2019.

be 75.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Netherlands, however, that number is 13.6% as of 2019.

pay a 2.6 times higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Netherlands, the top tax rate is 52.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 99.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 638.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Netherlands, 5.0 women do as of 2017.

be 96.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Netherlands, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2022.

have 69.0% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Netherlands, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 5.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Netherlands, about 91.0% do as of 2020.

be 30.7% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Netherlands, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 23.5% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 13.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Netherlands, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2019.

spend 68.8% more on education

Afghanistan spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Netherlands spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst.

Netherlands: At a glance

Netherlands is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 33,893 sq km. The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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How big is Netherlands compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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