Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Norway instead of Cook Islands, you would:

Health

live 6.0 years longer

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Norway, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 72.1% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 72.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Norway, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2024.

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have 89.1% more access to essential health services

Cook Islands scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Norway scores 87 as of 2021.

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Life

be 87.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Cook Islands, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Norway, on the other hand, 2.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 19.8% fewer children

In Cook Islands, there are approximately 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Norway, there are 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 52.8% more likely to have internet access

In Cook Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Norway, about 99.0% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 18.0% more on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Norway spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 2.9 times more on healthcare

Cook Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Norway, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 209.6 times more coastline

Cook Islands has a total of 120 km of coastline. In Norway, that number is 25,148 km.

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Safety

be 91.5% less likely to die in a road accident

In Cook Islands, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Norway, they kill 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 2.5 times more home broadband

Cook Islands has 18.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Norway has 45.2 as of 2024.

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Sources: The World Factbook (2020–2024), World Bank (2022–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Cook Islands vs. Norway

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
Norway is 93.0% more expensive than Cook Islands overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Cook Islands is about 1,372 times smaller than Norway.
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Moving from Cook Islands to Norway · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Norway: At a glance

Norway is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 304,282 sq km. Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.
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How big is Norway compared to Cook Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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