Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iceland instead of Belarus, you would:
Health
live 8.4 years longer
In Belarus, the average life expectancy is 74 years (70 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.
see 3.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Belarus spends $2,194 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.
have 12.7% more access to essential health services
Belarus scores 79 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iceland scores 89 as of 2021.
be 23.7% less likely to die by suicide
Belarus has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 9.6 times more money
Belarus has a GDP per capita of $10,279 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.
Life
have 59.3% more children
In Belarus, there are approximately 7.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Belarus, approximately 1.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 16.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Belarus, approximately 1.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Iceland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 44.8% more on education
Belarus spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Iceland spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 26.8% more on healthcare
Belarus spends 7.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 67.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Belarus, road accidents kill 7.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 91.6% less strain on fresh water
Belarus withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 11.7 times more electricity
Belarus uses 4,198 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iceland uses 48,998 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 88.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Belarus, air pollution causes 68.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iceland, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.
emit 43.4% more CO2
Belarus emits 5.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Belarus vs. Iceland
Iceland: At a glance
How big is Iceland compared to Belarus? See an in-depth size comparison.