Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Canada, you would:
Health
see 76.2% more spent on your healthcare
Canada spends $7,646 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 30.6% more doctors per person
Canada has 28.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
live 3.2 years less
In Canada, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
be 57.7% more likely to be obese
In Canada, 26.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 65.6% more likely to die by suicide
Canada has a suicide rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 39.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Canada, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 61.6% more money
Canada has a GDP per capita of $55,698 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 60.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Canada, 9.4% live below the poverty line as of 2008. In United States, however, that number is 15.1% as of 2010.
Life
have 19.1% more children
In Canada, there are approximately 8.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 41.7% more likely to die during childbirth
In Canada, approximately 12.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 17.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Canada, approximately 4.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 12.0% more on education
Canada spends 4.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 47.6% more on healthcare
Canada spends 11.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 90.1% less coastline
Canada has a total of 202,080 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 2.9 times more likely to be murdered
Canada has a homicide rate of 2.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 28.1% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Canada, 88% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In United States, that number is 63% as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Canada, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 7.6 times more strain on fresh water
Canada withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 75.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Canada, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2008–2010), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Canada vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Canada? See an in-depth size comparison.