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

Health

be 52.2% less likely to be obese

In Iceland, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guinea, that number is 10.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 59.5% less likely to die by suicide

Iceland has a suicide rate of 11.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guinea, it is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 13.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Iceland, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Guinea, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2024.

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live 21.9 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Guinea, that number is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 97.6% less spent on your healthcare

Iceland spends $6,927 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guinea spends $169 as of 2023.

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have 95.2% fewer doctors per person

Iceland has 43.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Guinea has 2.1 as of 2022.

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have 55.1% less access to essential health services

Iceland scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guinea scores 40 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 42.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guinea, that number is 5.2% as of 2025.

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be 5.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Guinea, however, that number is 43.7% as of 2018.

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make 98.1% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $98,323 as of 2025, while in Guinea, the GDP per capita is $1,877 as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.0 times more children

In Iceland, there are approximately 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guinea, there are 33.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 164.7 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 Guinea, 494.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 28.5 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 Guinea, on the other hand, 59.8 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity

In Iceland, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Guinea, that number is 51% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 26% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 66.1% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 98.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guinea, about 33.3% do as of 2024.

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be 25.8% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Iceland, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Guinea, that number is 74% of people on average (93% in urban areas, and 62% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 76.5% less on education

Iceland spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Guinea spends 1.7% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 58.9% less on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Guinea, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 93.6% less coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In Guinea, that number is 320 km.

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Safety

be 15.6 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Iceland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guinea, they kill 37.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 100.0% less home broadband

Iceland has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Guinea has 0.0 as of 2022.

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live with 3.5 times more strain on fresh water

Iceland withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guinea withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 95.9% less CO2

Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guinea emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 11.8 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Iceland, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guinea, it causes 94.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Guinea: At a glance

Guinea is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 245,717 sq km. Guinea is at a turning point after decades of authoritarian rule since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Guinea held its first free and competitive democratic presidential and legislative elections in 2010 and 2013 respectively. Alpha CONDE was elected to a five year term as president in 2010, and the National Assembly was seated in January 2014. CONDE's cabinet is the first all-civilian government in Guinea. Previously, Sekou TOURE ruled the country as president from independence to his death in 1984. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the military seized the government after TOURE's death. Gen. CONTE organized and won presidential elections in 1993, 1998, and 2003, though all the polls were rigged. Upon CONTE's death in December 2008, Capt. Moussa Dadis CAMARA led a military coup, seizing power and suspending the constitution. His unwillingness to yield to domestic and international pressure to step down led to heightened political tensions that culminated in September 2009 when presidential guards opened fire on an opposition rally killing more than 150 people, and in early December 2009 when CAMARA was wounded in an assassination attempt and exiled to Burkina Faso. A transitional government led by Gen. Sekouba KONATE paved the way for Guinea's transition to a fledgling democracy.
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