Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Burma instead of Greenland, you would:

Health

be 71.0% less likely to be obese

In Greenland, 28.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burma, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 3.2 years less

In Greenland, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Burma, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 53.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Greenland, 16.2% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Burma, however, that number is 24.8% as of 2017.

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make 97.5% less money

Greenland has a GDP per capita of $58,499 as of 2023, while in Burma, the GDP per capita is $1,489 as of 2025.

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Life

have 37.2% more children

In Greenland, there are approximately 12.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burma, there are 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 3.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Greenland, approximately 8.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Burma, on the other hand, 32.8 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 23.2% less likely to have access to electricity

In Greenland, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Burma, that number is 77% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 36.7% less likely to have internet access

In Greenland, approximately 69.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Burma, about 44.0% do as of 2021.

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be 14.3% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Greenland, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Burma, that number is 86% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 80.4% less on education

Greenland spends 10.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Burma spends 2.0% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

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Geography

see 95.6% less coastline

Greenland has a total of 44,087 km of coastline. In Burma, that number is 1,930 km.

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Infrastructure

find 91.0% less home broadband

Greenland has 32.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Burma has 2.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 94.4% less CO2

Greenland emits 10.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burma emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), The World Factbook (2015–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Greenland vs. Burma

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Burma is 66.4% cheaper than Greenland overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Greenland is about 3.2 times bigger than Burma.
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Burma: At a glance

Burma is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 653,508 sq km. Various ethnic Burmese and ethnic minority city-states or kingdoms occupied the present borders through the 19th century. Over a period of 62 years (1824-1886), Britain conquered Burma and incorporated the country into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; in 1948, Burma attained independence from the British Commonwealth. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. In response to widespread civil unrest, NE WIN resigned in 1988, but within months the military crushed student-led protests and took power. Multiparty legislative elections in 1990 resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory. Instead of handing over power, the junta placed NLD leader (and Nobel Peace Prize recipient) AUNG SAN SUU KYI (ASSK) under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, 2000 to 2002, and from May 2003 to November 2010. In late September 2007, the ruling junta brutally suppressed protests over increased fuel prices led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. In early May 2008, Burma was struck by Cyclone Nargis, which left over 138,000 dead and tens of thousands injured and homeless. Despite this tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum, the first vote in Burma since 1990. Parliamentary elections held in November 2010, considered flawed by many in the international community, saw the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party garner over 75% of the seats. Parliament convened in January 2011 and selected former Prime Minister THEIN SEIN as president. Although the vast majority of national-level appointees named by THEIN SEIN are former or current military officers, the government has initiated a series of political and economic reforms leading to a substantial opening of the long-isolated country. These reforms have included allowing ASSK to contest parliamentary by-elections on 1 April 2012, releasing hundreds of political prisoners, reaching preliminary peace agreements with 10 of the 11 major armed ethnic groups, enacting laws that provide better protections for basic human rights, and gradually reducing restrictions on freedom of the press, association, and civil society. At least due in part to these reforms, ASSK now serves as an elected Member of Parliament and chair of the Committee for Rule of Law and Tranquility. Most political parties have begun building their institutions in preparation for the next round of general elections in 2015. The country is the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2014.
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How big is Burma compared to Greenland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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