If you lived in Uruguay instead of Chile, you would:

Health

be 13.6% less likely to be obese

In Chile, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 35.0% of people as of 2024.

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have 40.2% more doctors per person

Chile has 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Uruguay has 46.7 as of 2022.

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live 3.1 years less

In Chile, the average life expectancy is 81 years (79 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 13.2% less spent on your healthcare

Chile spends $3,612 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uruguay spends $3,135 as of 2023.

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be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide

Chile has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 16.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Chile, 9.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uruguay, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

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make 40.1% more money

Chile has a GDP per capita of $17,995 as of 2025, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $25,216 as of 2025.

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be 2.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Chile, 6.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Uruguay, however, that number is 17.3% as of 2024.

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Life

have 12.4% more children

In Chile, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 50.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Chile, approximately 10.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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Expenditures

spend 14.3% less on healthcare

Chile spends 10.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 89.7% less coastline

Chile has a total of 6,435 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

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Safety

be 77.2% more likely to be murdered

Chile has a homicide rate of 6.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 26.2% more likely to die in a road accident

In Chile, road accidents kill 10.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uruguay, they kill 13.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 39.2% more home broadband

Chile has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.

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live with 34.2% more strain on fresh water

Chile withdraws 9% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uruguay withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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use 13.3% less electricity

Chile uses 4,373 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay uses 3,790 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 11.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Chile, air pollution causes 18.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.

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emit 34.8% less CO2

Chile emits 3.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay emits 2.6 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

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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