Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.6 years less

In Alaska, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Greenland, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 10.3% less money

Alaska has a GDP per capita of $75,882 as of 2024, while in Greenland, the GDP per capita is $68,100 as of 2021.

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Basic Needs

be 23.5% less likely to have internet access

In Alaska, approximately 90.8% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Greenland, about 69.5% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), The World Factbook.

Compare further: Alaska vs. Greenland

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Greenland is 29.6% more expensive than Alaska
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Size Comparison · See true size
Alaska is about 1.5 times smaller than Greenland.
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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.
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How big is Greenland compared to Alaska? See an in-depth size comparison.

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