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

Health

be 96.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Cameroon, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 18.8 years longer

In Cameroon, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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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see 28.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Cameroon spends $246 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.

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have 32.2 times more doctors per person

Cameroon has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Iceland has 43.7 as of 2023.

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have 2.0 times more access to essential health services

Cameroon scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iceland scores 89 as of 2021.

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be 38.4% more likely to be obese

In Cameroon, 16.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.

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be 40.1% more likely to die by suicide

Cameroon has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 49.9 times more money

Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $1,972 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.

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Life

be 98.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Cameroon, approximately 258.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 94.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Cameroon, approximately 40.2 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.

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have 66.4% fewer children

In Cameroon, there are approximately 33.3 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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Basic Needs

be 38.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In Cameroon, approximately 72% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 26% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Cameroon, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iceland, about 98.2% do as of 2024.

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be 40.0% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Cameroon, approximately 71% of people have access to drinking water (82% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.6 times more on education

Cameroon spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Iceland spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 97.4% more on healthcare

Cameroon spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2024.

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Geography

see 12.4 times more coastline

Cameroon has a total of 402 km of coastline. In Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.

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Safety

be 80.9% less likely to be murdered

Cameroon has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Iceland, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 77.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Cameroon, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 17.6 times more home broadband

Cameroon has 2.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Iceland has 37.5 as of 2024.

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live with 75.0% less strain on fresh water

Cameroon withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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use 216.7 times more electricity

Cameroon uses 226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iceland uses 48,998 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 92.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Cameroon, air pollution causes 101.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iceland, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.

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emit 24.3 times more CO2

Cameroon emits 0.3 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), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

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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