Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Iceland instead of Aruba, you would:

Health

live 6.3 years longer

In Aruba, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

make 2.5 times more money

Aruba has a GDP per capita of $38,591 as of 2024, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.

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Life

be 82.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Aruba, approximately 12.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Iceland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2024.

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have 47.6% more children

In Aruba, there are approximately 7.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.0 times more on education

Aruba spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Iceland spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 72.6 times more coastline

Aruba has a total of 68 km of coastline. In Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.

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Infrastructure

find 2.1 times more home broadband

Aruba has 17.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Iceland has 37.5 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 65.4% more CO2

Aruba emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Aruba vs. Iceland

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Iceland is 47.0% more expensive than Aruba overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Aruba is about 572 times smaller than Iceland.
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Moving from Aruba to Iceland · UN DESA 2015
1 people born in Aruba live in Iceland.
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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 Aruba? See an in-depth size comparison.

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