Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sweden instead of Belarus, you would:
Health
live 9.7 years longer
In Belarus, the average life expectancy is 74 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Sweden, that number is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.
be 15.2% less likely to be obese
In Belarus, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sweden, that number is 17.5% of people as of 2024.
see 3.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Belarus spends $2,194 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sweden spends $7,770 as of 2024.
be 11.3% less likely to die by suicide
Belarus has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sweden, it is 13.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 6.1 times more money
Belarus has a GDP per capita of $10,279 as of 2025, while in Sweden, the GDP per capita is $63,133 as of 2025.
be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Belarus, 3.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sweden, that number is 8.7% as of 2025.
be 4.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Belarus, 3.5% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Sweden, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2022.
Life
have 32.3% more children
In Belarus, there are approximately 7.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sweden, there are 9.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.0 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 Sweden, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 11.1% 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 Sweden, on the other hand, 2.0 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 45.0% more on education
Belarus spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Sweden spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 58.5% more on healthcare
Belarus spends 7.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sweden, that number is 11.2% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 71.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Belarus, road accidents kill 7.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sweden, they kill 2.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 12.0% more home broadband
Belarus has 36.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sweden has 40.6 as of 2024.
live with 23.2% less strain on fresh water
Belarus withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sweden withdraws 4% as of 2022.
use 2.9 times more electricity
Belarus uses 4,198 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Sweden uses 12,226 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 Sweden, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.
emit 39.9% less CO2
Belarus emits 5.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sweden emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Belarus vs. Sweden
Sweden: At a glance
How big is Sweden compared to Belarus? See an in-depth size comparison.