If you lived in Bahrain instead of Iceland, you would:

Health

be 60.9% less likely to die by suicide

Iceland has a suicide rate of 11.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bahrain, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

live 1.4 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Bahrain, that number is 81 years (81 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 57.3% more likely to be obese

In Iceland, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bahrain, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 63.1% less spent on your healthcare

Iceland spends $6,927 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bahrain spends $2,555 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 83.1% fewer doctors per person

Iceland has 43.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bahrain has 7.4 as of 2020.

View global rankings →

have 14.6% less access to essential health services

Iceland scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bahrain scores 76 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 69.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bahrain, that number is 1.1% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 68.9% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $98,323 as of 2025, while in Bahrain, the GDP per capita is $30,597 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 5.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Iceland, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bahrain, 17.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 3.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Iceland, approximately 2.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bahrain, on the other hand, 7.3 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 74.1% less on education

Iceland spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Bahrain spends 1.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

spend 55.5% less on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Bahrain, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 96.8% less coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In Bahrain, that number is 161 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 84.5% less likely to be murdered

Iceland has a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Bahrain, that number is 0.2 per 100,000 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

be 3.4 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Iceland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bahrain, they kill 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 54.7% less home broadband

Iceland has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bahrain has 17.0 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 342.8 times more strain on fresh water

Iceland withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bahrain withdraws 134% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 52.8% less electricity

Iceland uses 48,998 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Bahrain uses 23,120 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 8.5 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Iceland, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bahrain, it causes 68.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 2.8 times more CO2

Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bahrain emits 23.9 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Bahrain: At a glance

Bahrain is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 760 sq km. In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family took power in Bahrain. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has become an international banking center. Bahrain's small size and central location among Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. The Sunni-led government has struggled to manage relations with its large Shia-majority population. In early 2011, amid Arab uprisings elsewhere in the region, the Bahraini Government confronted similar protests at home with police and military action, including deploying Gulf Cooperation Council security forces to Bahrain. Sporadic clashes between demonstrators and security forces continue in Bahrain. Ongoing dissatisfaction with the political status quo has led to a broader discussion termed the Bahrain National Dialogue, a process that convenes members of the executive, parliament, and political societies in an attempt to reach a political agreement.
Read more

How big is Bahrain compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Bahrain or Iceland. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.