Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United States instead of Greenland, you would:

Health

live 8.6 years longer

In Greenland, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 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.

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be 46.0% more likely to be obese

In Greenland, 28.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 53.9% more money

Greenland has a GDP per capita of $58,499 as of 2023, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.

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Life

be 37.1% less 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.

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have 11.7% fewer children

In Greenland, there are approximately 12.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 36.2% more likely to have internet access

In Greenland, approximately 69.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 46.9% less on education

Greenland spends 10.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Geography

see 54.8% less coastline

Greenland has a total of 44,087 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.

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Infrastructure

find 21.5% more home broadband

Greenland has 32.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 30.3% more CO2

Greenland emits 10.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Greenland vs. United States

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
United States is 5.3% cheaper than Greenland overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Greenland is about 4.5 times smaller than United States.
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Moving from Greenland to United States · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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United States: At a glance

United States (sometimes abbreviated US or USA) is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 9,147,593 sq km. Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
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How big is United States compared to Greenland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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