If you lived in Iceland instead of Czech Republic, you would:

Health

live 2.8 years longer

In Czech Republic, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 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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be 15.7% less likely to be obese

In Czech Republic, 26.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.

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see 48.2% more spent on your healthcare

Czech Republic spends $4,674 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.

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be 10.7% less likely to die by suicide

Czech Republic has a suicide rate of 13.3 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 2.7 times more money

Czech Republic has a GDP per capita of $35,917 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.

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be 27.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Czech Republic, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.

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Life

have 45.5% more children

In Czech Republic, there are approximately 7.7 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 12.0% more likely to have internet access

In Czech Republic, approximately 87.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iceland, about 98.2% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 70.0% more on education

Czech Republic spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Iceland spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Safety

be 53.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Czech Republic, road accidents kill 5.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 67.5% more likely to be murdered

Czech Republic has a homicide rate of 0.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

live with 98.2% less strain on fresh water

Czech Republic withdraws 22% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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use 8.3 times more electricity

Czech Republic uses 5,877 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Iceland uses 48,998 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 75.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Czech Republic, air pollution causes 33.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iceland, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.

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emit 19.5% more CO2

Czech Republic emits 7.1 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). 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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How big is Iceland compared to Czech Republic? See an in-depth size comparison.

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